The Saga of Avatar Korra
by Puffie
Summary: For the second time in two centuries, the Avatar is lost. Asami Sato realizes a girl she met years before in the far North might be the person the world needs, and a young woman named Korra begins to rebel against her guardians; the Red Lotus. Canon rewrite. Co-authored with sanctum c
1. The Girl in the Snow

Summary:

For the second time in two centuries, the Avatar is lost. Asami Sato realizes she might once have met the Avatar in the far North, and a young woman named Korra begins to rebel against her guardians; the Red Lotus.

Notes:

This fic is a collaboration between Puffie (story and scenario building) and Sanctum_C (prose and editing) to rewrite Korra's story with alternate events in mind and an attempt to tap potential storylines that were not explored in canon. The most significant canon deviation is that Korra was successfully abducted by the Red Lotus. From there, this fanfic will also explore the changes to the world resulting with the disappearance of the Avatar after Aang.

The most important characters in this story will be Korra, Asami, Bolin and later on, Kuvira. Other _The Legend of Korra_ characters like Mako, Tenzin, his family, Gaang descendants, and various villains may still play important roles. We aim to develop these characters and deepen relationships through different circumstances and choices from canon.

We know many of you are very interested on what ships will happen in the story, but we're only doing the relationship tags as they become relevant. Also since this is an alternate universe, the goal is to have different outcomes. Although friendships and personal development will be the main focus of this fanfic, romances will still happen, but what was in canon may not happen here - or at least not quite in the same way.

The story planned is comprised of three books.

* * *

><p><strong>Book 1: Healing<strong>

**Chapter 1: The Girl in the Snow**

The memory haunted her. Asami always managed to forget for a time, but it took so little for the whole sequence to unfold once again in her mind's eye. She had been young, so young and so bored. While the freezing air had been so different to the more temperate Republic City, she soon became used to the cold. The lack of others her age however was not something she ever got used to. Finding a friend in such an desolate place had been a big deal, but it was not the sole reason the memory remained vivid.

The research station the Sato family called home was nestled against a small cliff, the natural formation blocking the majority of the wind blasting down from the North. Each day Asami watched as the swirling snow was swept over the cliff edge, the flakes dancing in the faded light. The sight, while beautiful and new, could only hold her attention so long. Asami was bored. The ground sloped up at either side of the camp, allowing a determined child a route up onto the cliff above. It only took a few days before she clambered up and stared North; into the forbidden lands none would tread without a good reason. There was almost nothing to see. White emptiness stretched on until it was swallowed by falling snow. Some days it was clearer, but all she could see were distant mountains. Asami still persisted in climbing up, day after day. There was nothing else to do at the camp. There was nothing for her there besides books she had read time after time and toys no longer capable of holding her interest. Maybe it would have been better to bring new things, but what else could she bring with such limited space than her absolute favourites? So young, and with no concept of true boredom. The North offered at least something new, even if it remained empty. Until one day.

Asami wandered up the slope as always, almost not bothering to check if there was no one to see her sneaking away. As she clambered up a new noise reached her. Sqwaking, slithering and the hiss of something skidding across the ice. Asami moved faster. Otter penguins called to each other as a pack careened across ice and snow. They moved like lightning across the ice, the available area a little too limited for their movements. All too soon they hit a snow bank forcing them to clamber to their feet and waddle back to a new starting position. Without another thought, Asami ran forward into their midst. The otter penguins squawked as she ran amongst them, the creatures eyeing her with nervous glances as she shrieked and blundered on the ice. The animals were new, exciting and different. They never stayed quite where they were; the group always shifting and milling around. Soon just watching the otter penguins sliding was not enough. As one threw itself forward, Asami grabbed hold of its back and rode the creature as it hurtled over the ice. This was the best day ever.

Asami was not sure how long she played until she glanced back to check how far she had moved from the research station. A strange weightless feel settled into her stomach as she saw nothing but swirling snow behind her. Not a problem - the station was hidden by the cliff. Asami starting heading back the way she came. The cliff did not come into view. She walked on further, still unable to see home. Asami glanced around in increasing panic. The otter penguins were somewhere behind her; nothing around her but snow. Asami kept walking forward. There was nothing else she could do. She stared around, searching for something familiar. Her shivering was becoming more and more painful, her face freezing, her ears burning. The wind howled around her. And something else? There was a new noise. Not an otter penguin; what animals could be found in the area? Was she about to become a meal for a predator? The wind swirled around her, nothing visible. Wait. There was a shadow to her left. She stared at the vague shape. To keep going forward towards where home might be or veer away from the threat?

Was that another child? The figure drew closer; it was a girl. Her skin was darker than Asami's and she wore a dark blue parka. The girl held her hand out as she approached. Asami dithered, uncertain, the girl shielding her eyes from the snow. She clutched hold of the girl's outstretched hand and the light faded. The freezing wind was gone. Asami looked up in surprise. They were standing in what looked like an ice tent. Two massive frozen slabs met above her head, an ice wall to her left in between the slanted sides. The right side remained open to the air. No, there was something there. Asami reached out, her fingers hitting an almost invisible barrier. It was freezing beneath her fingers; a sheet of crystal clear ice.

The girl looked away as Asami met her gaze, and eyed her with nervous movements. A polar bear dog peered out from behind the girl, looking between her and the stranger. Asami waved to it and since the other girl was reluctant to speak, she took the initiative.

"Hi, I'm Asami. What's your name?"

The girl glanced at her, fidgeting and shuffling her feet. She licked her lips and spoke in a soft voice. "I'm not allowed to tell outsiders." The girl looked up, holding Asami's gaze for the first time. "Sorry," she added.

"Is it a secret?"

"Yes." She looked a little annoyed. Asami was unsure how to proceed, thankful when the girl continued. "Hey, how old are you?"

"Five years and four months," Asami replied, a note of pride entering her voice. "Can you tell me how old you are? Or is that a secret as well?"

The girl shook her head. "Not a secret, but I don't know. Sorry."

"Oh." They both fell silent. "Are you lost too?"

"Lost?"

Asami nodded, trying to hold back the tears she could feel welling up. "Uh-huh. I tried riding on an otter penguin. It went so fast. But I don't know how far we went and I don't know how to get back."

"I'm not lost," the girl replied. "I come here a lot. But I've never tried riding the otter penguins." She patted her companion. "Naga moves faster than I've ever seen them go."

"Wow," said Asami, marvelling at the polar bear dog. "Naga must be faster than a car."

The girl frowned. "Car?"

Asami nodded. "My dad makes them. They're still new so not many people can afford them. But it means my family is really rich." Asami sighed. "Daddy and Mommy will be looking for me. I hope I don't get in too much trouble. Is... Are you worried about that too?"

The girl shook her head. "My Mommy and Daddy are dead." She lapsed into silence and Asami wondered what to say next. "But... Yeah, I might get scolded too. Especially if I did get lost."

Asami frowned. "But who scolds you if you don't have parents?"

"My teachers." There was another awkward silence. "What's it like?" The girl looked at her again.

"What's what like?"

The girl bit her lip. "Having parents." She glanced out through the ice wall. "Living somewhere else." The girl looked back to Asami who was unsure what to say. "Oh. What's the name of the place you live?"

"Republic City," Asami replied.

"'Republic City'," the girl echoed. Asami nodded. The girl frowned. "And you like it there?"

"Yup. I live in a big house with a pool." Asami found herself smiling. "Oh! We could go play there."

"What's a pool?"

"It's like a big bath. We have a big bath too, but the pool is bigger. And there's one even bigger in the city." The girl looked confused. "It's fun," Asami insisted.

"Are there a lot of people there?"

"Lots and lots."

"How many?" The girl was watching her.

"I don't know," Asami admitted. "More than I could count. Its like a million times more than at the research station."

"How many are at the research station?"

Asami thought for a moment. "Maybe thirty?"

"So, there's thirty million in Republic City?"

"Probably!"

"But how can so many people live in one place?"

Asami reflected on home. "Well, some people live in big houses like ours. And some live in smaller houses. And some people live in houses on top of other houses."

"What are houses?"

"It's where you live with your mommy and daddy." Asami gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sorry."

The girl shook her head. "It's okay. So, a house is where people live? Where they eat and sleep?"

Asami nodded. "Yep."

"And there are lots of different kinds of houses?" Asami nodded. "But what do the people do in them?"

"Do?"

"They use them as somewhere to sleep and eat. But what else do they do? Do they train all day?" The girl's hand clutched at her elbow.

"I think some do. But a lot have jobs."

"'Job'?" The girl looked baffled.

"Yeah. All the grown-ups have them." The girl looked blank. Asami worried at her lip with her teeth. "It's something you do and get paid for."

"'Paid'?" Asami sighed.

"Do you not have money?" The girl shook her head. "It's..." Asami frowned. "You get it for doing jobs. And you need it to get other things. Like cars. Which is my daddy's job to make. And that gets him loads of money."

The girl's mouth opened and closed her mouth a few times. "That's the second time you mentioned 'cars'. What are they?"

"It's like sliding on otter penguins. Or it might like riding on Naga. But lots of people can ride on cars. And they have wheels and make a noise like this." Asami pursed her lips together and performed a passable imitation of a Sato-mobile.

The girl started laughing. "How do you do anything with all that noise going on?"

Asami was smiling. "You get used to it. And it's not that bad. And not everyone has a car." She studied the girl. "You should come with me. There's loads of room at home. And you can see the statue from my window."

"Statue?"

Asami nodded. "It's huge. It's of the Avatar."

"The Avatar?" The girl looked curious.

"Yep. He helped start Republic City. And he saved the world."

"I'd like to see that," the girl said, her voice slowing as she spoke. She frowned, staring down towards the ground. Asami looked through the ice; the snow had stopped, but the sky was growing darker. The first stars were visible high overhead. In the silence, Asami realized just how cold she was, everything around her frozen. She shivered, her teeth clicking together as her body shook. Wrapping her arms around her torso she started jigging on the spot and trying to warm up.

"Cold?" The girl was looking at her with concern. Assam nodded, wondering how the other girl seemed so unaffected by the low temperature. The girl crouched and cleared a hollow in the snow in the middle of the shelter. As she sat back on her haunches, she moved her arms with deliberate yet uncertain motions. Fire leapt from her hands, pooling into the hollow, the depression growing deeper as the snow melted. Asami started forward, enjoying the warmth as she neared. The wracking shivers vanished as heat seeped into her frozen form.

"I had no idea you were a fire bender," she exclaimed.

The girl allowed a tight smile to appear on her lips. "I'm still not that good at it. This is the most fire I've ever produced."

"I'm glad you can do it at all." Asami stretched her hands out as close to the flames as she dared. She looked at the girl opposite her. "Do you want to come back to the station with me? Then we can both go back to Republic City and see the statue."

The girl smiled, but it did not seem a happy expresson. "I really would like to. But I can't. I really can't. I'm not allowed to."

"Why not? My mommy can talk to your teachers if you like. There are more teachers in Republic City for you to meet if that helps. And it would be better than living up here in the cold."

"I do... want to. Its just-"

"Asami!"

Asami sat upright, listening. The call came again. "That's my mommy!" She raced to the ice wall peering outside.

The girl joined her. "So they came looking for you..." she murmured. "I'll get this out of the way," she added in a louder voice. With a sweep of her hand the wall dissolved. Asami took a few steps forward and turned as her mother called her name once more.

"Can I come see you again tomorrow?" Asami asked. "You can meet me here if you like. I'll remember now to get here when we head back."

"Asami!" The voice was close. Asami turned and ran forward before the girl could reply. She just needed to see her mother first. Let her know everything was fine, then get her to talk to her new friend. The rescue party crested a near invisible ridge in the snow a moment later and her mother crushed Asami in an embrace. It took a long moment for her mother to release her hold. Asami turned to call the girl over, but her shout died on her lips as she looked back. There was no sign of the girl or the shelter. Asami frowned, looking around the desolate area, seeing no disturbances other than her own tracks. They seemed to originate from nowhere.

"Asami? What is it?" Her mother looked concerned as she turned back to face her.

"My friend. She was just here and she helped me stay warm. But I can't see her anywhere."

"Friend?" Her mommy blinked, looking past Asami. "Honey, there's no one here."

"But there was," Asami insisted.

Asami never saw the girl again. Both her mother and father forbade her to ever leave the camp without them, and she now had to spend all her time with them both. She hoped the girl was not waiting for her out in the snow. Or had been, but now concluded Asami did not want to see her again. If only she could see her once more, explain what had happened. Now she worried that the girl thought her a liar. There had been a grudging belief from the adults that Asami had indeed met someone, but several searches failed to turn up either the girl or a settlement she might have originated from.

Time wore on and the Satos returned to Republic City. But no matter how much time passed, Asami never forgot the curious girl in the snow. The one who had bent fire. But it had been more than that. She had bent water too; the shelter was proof of that. It had not been so important when she was younger, but as she grew older, she realised those actions told a vital story. A girl who could bend more than one element. Someone like the Avatar. Not once in recorded history had anyone other than the Avatar manipulated more than one element. The time frames matched well enough. And the search for the Avatar had been going on for years now. The thought haunted Asami in the dead of night: what if that girl had been the Avatar? Could the everything have been different if she had told others about the girl who bent ice and fire?

* * *

><p>Korra lay out in the snow. The night sky was studded with stars, her breath visible in the freezing air. She would need to head back soon to avoid getting in trouble again. After a few more seconds of blissful isolation, Korra clambered to her feet. Naga caught the movement and raised herself up. Korra allowed herself one last backward glance before she mounted the polar bear dog. A deserted research station lay just beneath the cliff she had been lying on. It had not been easy to find and there had been so many delays in starting the search. But she had found where it was after months of searching. And it was too late; Asami, was not there anymore. Had not been here for a long time. Korra came back whenever she could, hoping against hope she might one day find her only friend waiting for her even as years passed.<p>

She had been worried that day they met, reluctant to even contemplate letting Asasmi's mother meet the Red Lotus. So she hid, waiting under the snow and ice until the search party left. And every day since she wondered what it might have been like if she had not hidden. What if she had gone with Asami to Republic City? Left the Red Lotus and escaped out into the world. Korra sighed and spurred Naga onwards. She could day-dream all she liked, but it would not change her current circumstances. Now she had to worry about getting back before another scolding.

* * *

><p>Thanks to <strong>mysral <strong>from tumblr for helpful suggestions in the story and for all the brainstorming.


	2. Escape to Republic City

Summary:

For the second time in two centuries, the Avatar is lost. Asami Sato realizes she might once have met the Avatar in the far North, and a young woman named Korra begins to rebel against her guardians; the Red Lotus.

Notes:

This fic is a collaboration between Puffie (story and scenario building) and Sanctum-C (prose and editing) to rewrite Korra's story with alternate events in mind and an attempt to tap potential storylines that were not explored in canon. The most significant canon deviation is that Korra was successfully abducted by the Red Lotus. From there, this fanfic will also explore the changes to the world resulting with the disappearance of the Avatar after Aang.

The most important characters in this story will be Korra, Asami, Bolin and later on, Kuvira. Other The Legend of Korra characters like Mako, Tenzin, his family, Gaang descendants, and various villains may still play important roles. We aim to develop these characters and deepen relationships through different circumstances and choices from canon.

We know many of you are very interested on what ships will happen in the story, but we're only doing the relationship tags as they become relevant. Also since this is an alternate universe, the goal is to have different outcomes. Although friendships and personal development will be the main focus of this fanfic, romances will still happen, but what was in canon may not happen here - or at least not quite in the same way.

* * *

><p><strong>Book 1: Healing<strong>

**Chapter 2: Escape to Republic City**

Korra took a deep breath and held it. She had closed her eyes, her arms hung limp yet ready at her sides. She breathed out and opened her eyes. The training doll in front of her stared back at her. Sort of stared. The doll had no features, just the vague semblance of a face. Korra shifted her stance, P'Li's instruction now second nature. She moved with fluid movements, snapping her arms to the right places at the right time. Korra punched forward, the fireball exploding from her knuckles and splashing over the dummy. The varnished surface blackened and cracked as the heat enveloped it. She allowed herself a smile. Not only was it so simple now, but the fire she could produce was so much hotter. It was still a step down from the P'Li's explosive application of fire bending, but potent all the same.

She kicked a blast of fire towards the dummy. The flames hit, but after the surface level charring of her first attack, it was not clear how much damage she was doing. Maybe another target? Korra glanced around. The next dummy was some twenty meters to her left. She smiled. As she took a step towards it she bent the snow beneath her feet into an icy track that ran towards her target. Shifting her weight, Korra's feet slipped against the ice and she skated along the track. She might not be quite as an assured fire bender as P'Li, not as devastating at water bending as Ming Hua and not as practiced with the earth as Ghazan, but this was something none of them could do. She alone could combine the different bending schools together into a style all her own.

It was not as impressive as she might hope. Each of her three bending teachers could still defeat her most days, and all three together was a hopeless venture. But she was almost there; it was just a matter of keeping all three disciplines working in conjunction. She needed them all to feel natural as they worked together. As it was, most of the time she could use the opposed element against water or fire easy enough. Earth caused some problems. Korra had wondered about the opposite, why Zaheer claimed it had died out with the extinction of the air benders.

No. She was getting distracted. The end of her track was fast approaching and her target was right ahead of her. Korra skidded to a halt and she flicked herself into a cartwheel, flames spurting from her foot as it sped towards the dummy. At the last instant Korra imagined Zaheer stood before her. The thought was jarring, her concentration broken. The flames extinguished and her leg slammed against the dummy. Korra yelped in pain and fell onto the snow in an awkward position.

Dammit. The argument from before was still preying on her mind. Korra let out a frustrated growl. She sat up in the snow, glancing around to ensure she was still alone in the compound. There was no one else present. Good. It would not have been too bad if Ghazan or P'Li had been here. But Ming or Zaheer? Korra shuddered. It was not as if she did not know what the world was like. The corruption, the suffering, the darkness in every nation and every kingdom. How the world would not accept her, almost everyone wanted her nothing more than her destruction. How she still needed protection. How she had to pass one final test before she could venture out into the world.

* * *

><p>"I'm not a child anymore," Korra said, frustration coating every word.<p>

"You may not physically be a child, but mentally you are not ready. You are still too quick to anger. You have not fully embraced any of the meditative techniques I have tried to teach you." Zaheer's face was impassive as he spoke and Korra felt her nails dig into her palms. She had to stay calm, had to respond in an even tone.

"I don't need them. I'm ready to go out there." She winced at her voice, but it was too late to back down. "I've been stuck here all my life. I want to see outside. I want to see the rest of the world. I want to go to-." Korra cut herself off, not daring to mention the one city she knew the name of. The place Asami lived.

Zaheer shook his head. "Your whining makes little sense to me. You have the freedom of half a day's travel from here. What place would you wish to go to?" He was staring at her with a suspicious gaze now.

"Anywhere." Korra fidgeted in the silence that followed. "I want to begin my mission. I want to go further away."

"Impossible. You are simply not ready."

"Then maybe I won't save the world. Maybe it can just fall apart without me doing anything to help it." Korra smiled at Zaheer.

"How dare you?" Ming exclaimed from behind her. Korra turned, startled to see her other teachers watching from the doorway. "You have a destiny. If you do not fulfill your role, we will all perish."

Korra snapped back before she could think. "Then I don't want this destiny. If the world needs me so badly then I should be able to see it. I'm not saving it on someone else's say so."

Ming opened her mouth to respond. "Enough," Zaheer barked from behind her. Korra turned to face him, scowling. Her only non-bending teacher glared at her. "This attitude, this childish show of disobedience and flippant disrespect for your role is exactly why you are not ready." Zaheer paused and spoke again in a lower tone. "We have given you free reign with your time and travel outside of your training. The restriction on the distance you can travel is for your own safety."

"But-."

"Korra, can you defeat your teachers consistently in training?"

"Yes," Korra replied, looking away.

"You know that is not true." He gestured behind her, but Korra refused to turn. "You have been given the best teachers we could trust, but do not for a moment delude yourself that there are none stronger than they in the world. If you can not defeat those with your best interests at heart then how can you possibly cope with a tougher opponent?"

"I'd find a way," Korra muttered.

"You would fall before you achieved a tenth of your objectives. Do you truly wish to make the world suffer longer? Your destiny concerns more than just yourself. We do not want to lose you. We do not want to-." Zaheer broke off. "You will stay here until we feel you are ready to take the final test."

"Can I go?" Korra asked, still staring at the ground.

"And just where are you intending to go now?" Ming's voice rang out in the quiet of the room.

"Where else?" Korra stared up at Zaheer, a bitter tone entering her voice. "Training."

Zaheer frowned. "Training? Have you not completed your tasks today?"

"I have. But, more I train, the better I get. And the quicker I get to see the world." Korra forced a smile.

"Very well." Zaheer looked furious but still gestured towards the training ground. "Train."

Korra strode away. She stopped a few paces away. "Next time we talk I'll have questions."

"Questions?" Zaheer asked. "What kind of questions?"

Korra shook her head. "Not now. I need some time to cool off."

"Then you will be waiting for some time. Ming, P'Li and I will be leaving today to settle some matters. Ghazan will remain here to keep an eye on you." Korra turned at last to meet Zaheer's gaze. "If you have any pressing questions, then it would be best to ask them now."

Korra held his gaze for a moment and shook her head. "No. It can wait."

As she sat in the snow beside the training dummy, Korra wondered what Zaheer would have said if she had told him. Looking down at her hand, Korra formed a tiny ball of swirling air. What would Zaheer have said if she told him she could bend air?

Her concentration was gone now. The fight with Zaheer should have boosted her attention, made her more eager to get better. But his words continued to echo around her mind, haunting her, reminding her of just how far she still had to go. How she was lying to her guardians, the ones who had kept her safe all this time. But to be able to bend air; that should be enough to allow her to win out against all her teachers. Who among them could withstand an attack from such a source? If only she could control it, if only it was more than just a tiny sphere in the palm of her hand.

With training it might improve. Which was just what Zaheer had been saying. More training. More delays. More time in this second secluded hideout. They abandoned the first and from what she had overheard, Ghazan destroyed it after her meeting with Asami. Odd how anxious her teachers were. She had not told them of Asami, nor allowed any vital details to slip out in that brief conversation the two of them shared. But despite the passage of time, Asami's words were still vivid in memory. Republic City; a place with more people than she could imagine. Where they lived and mingled and worked. Where some had cars; entities capable of fast speeds and terrible noises.

Asami had been the only person even close to her age she had ever met. Which in turn had lead to other elements of recent conflict with Zaheer. All her life her teachers told her over and over again of how dark the world was, how full of suffering and conflict. How those in power did not wish for her to fulfill her destiny. And yet; Asami had been happy, excited and content. Maybe she was one of the oppressors? Maybe she thought how things were was fine? But it did not sit right. There was a consistent vision in her head of the evils out in the world. Asami bore no resemblance to them. She had not even suspected Korra's identity and made no mention of it. What then did that one encounter say about everything repeated to her over the years? She needed to see for herself. Needed to see what the world was like; see, feel and experience it all first hand.

At least now she had a little more freedom. Freedom and dreams. Another thing she had refrained from mentioning to Zaheer. The visions came with more regularity of late, leaving her anxious and making sleep impossible. The most prominent element was a bearded monk with a bald head and a blue arrow inscribed across his head. He seemed to be meditating in a similar manner to the techniques Zaheer tried to teach her. The monk was the most prominent element, but there was also a girl with a similar skin tone to her own. The dreams seemed like scattered memories. Along with the monk's meditation there were glimpses of a family life. She saw the monk and the girl spending time with each other, happy and relaxed; joined after a time by a child. And she was a water-bender.

Was this her family before she lost them? Korra wanted to believe so, but it did not quite fit. Something about the monk jarred with her mental image of her father. Illogical; she had only the most fleeting sensations and feelings than clear images. The girl with the monk was not who came to mind when she looked in the mirror and tried to imagine herself older, happier, more at peace. Even imagining a relaxed reality was difficult. Her destiny was an unwanted burden that served to keep her bound, separate and other. And why should she be? As the Avatar she should be more powerful than anyone else. She should be able to make her own decisions and no one should be able to stand in her way. There was no need for a protective guard, not least one for whom all their words felt wrong somehow. It felt as if things her teachers omitted certain things or expressed them only as half-truths.

She could bend air. The airbenders could not all be gone. Could the monk, the one in her dreams, teach her how to bend the air? Zaheer often talked as if he should have been an airbender, had he born to other parents, if the talent had passed to him. But he remained the odd one of her teachers - the non-bender teaching her meditative techniques like the air benders of old. If she found the monk, she might become a true Avatar. Korra sighed. It was a nice thought, but she was here and the air benders were elsewhere.

Korra crept up the spiraling stair that lead to her room at the pinnacle of their fortress. Flopping by the window she looked out into the vista of ice and the boundless, almost endless sea. Chunks of ice floated and drifted in the sea currents. The night was clear and she could see the stars. Somewhere out there, beyond all that water was the place called Republic City. Were there air benders there? Korra smirked. If only Naga could fly like those bison in her dreams. She could sail away over the walls, off the coast and across the water. And no one could stop her. Oh, Ming might try to drag her down with water whips, and P'Li could try and shoot her down, but she would sail up above them all and in safety.

Or perhaps if she could control air better, all she would need was a sail of some kind as she drifted out beyond anyone's reach. Korra's stomach lurched. No, that was not a solution - it would mean leaving Naga behind. Would that her limited airbending be at least consistent. There were days when the sphere of air was as simple as clicking her fingers. On others, try as she might, she could not even muster a breeze. The monk seemed to be key somehow. On nights when she dreamt of him, when he seemed real and solid after waking - those were the days when her skill was at it's peak. Where the very nature, the technique of bending the air seems almost in her grasp. If she could just understand one last aspect, if she could just grasp the basics she would be there. The Avatar; master of all four elements.

And yet another secret; Korra remembered scattered words the monk said. Some were vague, others garbled. Some evaporated upon waking. But there was a consistent theme, a warning in the man's words. It was dangerous to trust The Red Lotus. Of course it would be easy to consider this trickery of the corrupt world - a way to turn her against her guardians. And what would her life have been like if the Red Lotus had not taken it upon themselves to guard her? But there remained a doubt. The monk said other things, all vague and unmemorable by morning save for one; Sifu P'Li had been a weapon once. She was once imprisoned by a warlord until her rescue by Zaheer. Korra did not know what to make of this one scant piece of information.

There was a perverse thrill in keeping all these secrets from her guardians. And yet more than anything she wanted to know the answers. Wanted to ask those questions. Could she trust the answers she would receive? Could she have maybe told Ghazan in secret? He remained the easiest of the quartet to talk to, the least brusque and most relaxed. But could she depend on him to not tell any of the others? Uncertain. Frustration filled her. No. She should calm herself. Korra sat up and got into the right position for meditation. She knew the techniques Zaheer taught her, but this was the first time she had done this alone. The monk appeared before her eyes in moments. Korra gasped, almost opening her eyes. She resisted, watching and waiting. It was the most vivid she had ever seen him and, when he spoke, his voice was crystal clear.

"Come and find me, Korra."

Her eyes snapped open. It had sounded like he was in the room. She looked around, her gaze drawn up to the moon. Was there something there? Another movement below distracted her. The sea reflected the night-sky, disturbed only by the waves. Wait. Those did not look like normal waves. Or rather they did, but the water was moving in the wrong direction - washing away from the shore and out into the open sea. A sign?

"Come and find me, Korra."

The temptation was too strong. Korra grabbed for the bag she took for her longer distance explorations and shoved a few supplies inside. Water, a few snacks, one change of clothes. She was hurrying and her movements becoming clumsy. She hissed at herself to calm down, but she could not go slower. Every minute delay brought the return of Zaheer that much closer. Not that he was due back tonight, but the sensation in her stomach would not leave. She had to move. Korra ran through a hasty inventory in her head as she turned in her room, looking for anything else she might need. She paced on the spot as she tried to hold herself in check.

Naga was in the stable set at the base of the tower. And rather than tangle with guards or Ghazan, she was going to take the direct route. She had entertained this notion over many years; drop from the window and bend the snow into a deep enough drift below to cushion her fall. From the ground it looked plausible and easy. From her room; well, somehow it looked fatal from up here. She took a deep breath, setting one foot on the window sill. She could do this. Korra looked down. She could not do this. If the timing was off the best she could hope for was a broken leg. If she succeeded, who knew what awaited her out there? No. She was going to do it. Going to jump. Okay. On three. One, two, thr-. Could she bend the snow from here?

Korra leant down, fingers reaching out to the snow. It did not move. She strained for a few more moments and slumped. Too far. She was going to have to jump after-all. Her bag slipped from her shoulders and she stared at it. Why was she bothering to carry it? Why not drop it down now? The thought sent a thrill of realization through her. She could use it as an estimate for timing. Korra dropped it out the window, counting the seconds until the bag hit the snow. Well, there was the timing at least. Okay. Remember the bag. And be ready to act fast. She ran through the process, visualized each moment of the fall and the snow coming up to cushion her. Okay. On three this time. Korra leapt at one, not trusting herself to let the countdown run its course.

Wind whipped around Korra as she plummeted. This seemed like such a bad plan. If only she could air bend. No time for that. She fell, coming in range of the snow and with a few flicks of her wrist, the frozen mass gathered beneath her. She sank further than expected in the snow, finding herself wedged a good distance into the pile. At least she was still alive. Flailing her limbs got her nowhere; she resorted to water-bending the pile apart, working her limbs to move the snow. It was slow work at first but fire bending risked drawing too much attention.

Korra was shivering when she emerged from the snow drift. It took only a moment to bend the clinging snow and the melted clumps away from her skin and clothes. So far, so good. No one seemed to have noticed her drop from the tower. Now came the next tricky part. Holding her hands out in front of her, Korra snuck into the stable, shushing Naga before she even opened her mouth.

"Come on, girl," Korra whispered. "We're going to Republic City."

The polar bear dog looked at her with a curious stare as Korra placed the saddle across her back and guided her out into the open. Okay. So far she had done nothing wrong. Or at least nothing deserving of punishment. She could pass it all off as boredom, or a new trick she had conceived of, or any number of other reasons. Once she exited the compound, or rather once she was underwater; that was the point of no return. Korra turned to look up at her home as it had been. It would be easy to stay. Oh there would be frustrations from Zaheer, the endless training, the curiosity about Asami and where she was now. But she could live with all that. She could stay here, continue living the same life, not risk getting caught and be, if not quite happy, then at least left in familiar circumstances.

No. She should not think like that. If she stayed she might never see the world at all. If she stayed she would have questions she might never learn the answer to. She would never find out about air bending, or the monk or the thousands of questions she had. Korra took a deep breath, bending snow and rock, as she dug deep. Naga trailed behind her as she delved beneath the compound wall, moving on a direct line to the ocean. The water almost overwhelmed her when she breached the sand of the beach. It took a hasty few moments to form a bubble wall to prevent her and Naga from drowning. Concentrating, Korra collapsed the tunnel behind her, balancing the water and earth bending together. No way back now; she had to go on. A few more movements let the water flow around both her and Naga in a perfect sphere. It rolled forward under her control, and only now did some of the unsuitability of the plan occur to her. The water was almost black, the light from the stars near invisible even though they are not that deep. She could fire bend for light, but that would use up their limited air quicker still.

Korra paused in frustrated panic, having come so far and yet encountered a stumbling block so close to victory. She could just press forward with the bubble along the ocean floor, hope for the best and work around or over obstacles as she ran into them. Not encouraging. Maybe try to keep the bubble floating? Korra pushed forward, setting the bubble moving, herself and Naga walking along the underside. The sphere teetered on the edge of her tunnel and then began rolling. The water rushed around the sphere, Korra convinced they were hurtling down towards the ocean floor. No. Something was different. They were moving up and forward. It was hard to see but she could sense it. A current, and it must be a vast one, was pushing them up and speeding them through the water. The monk? No; he was an airbender. This was water bending. Ming? No, she would have dragged her back to land by now. Korra smiled. She had a friend somewhere. It seemed all she had to do was maintain the bubble.

* * *

><p>Hours passed and Korra grew bored. This was simple, easy and did not need concentration. At the same time, there was so little to do or see. Faint pinpricks and the soft light of the moon was all she could see above. The depths below were dark and unlit. The only indications of movement came from tiny particles in the water as they caught the moonlight.<p>

At last the ocean floor became clearer, though the sky was still dark. Brighter spots of light were visible ahead. Had she come so close to the stars somehow? It seemed as though they were entering the shallows; Korra caught glimpses of ridges and shipwrecks. With a new surge of motion, the current pushed them onto the surface. Korra stared in amazement, her concentration gone and the bubble disintegrating around them. She and Naga floundered in the water for a frenzied moment before they were able to tread water. All Korra's attention fixed on the sight in front of her. A massive statue loomed above them, glowing with illumination against the dark sky. It had to be the monument Asami had told her about so long ago. But it was more than that. The statue resembled the monk from her vision. Asami had told her the statue was of the Avatar. The Avatar had been talking to her in her visions. But there was more than that; the statue had an arrow inscribed on it's head. It looked so much like the tatoo on the Monk's head. Was there some connection between the two?

With effort Korra tore her gaze away to look towards land. Towards Republic City. She had never seen anything so vast.

There was another nearby island; whatever was there seemed important - there were guards on duty. She had had quite enough of armed protectors for a life-time. If it came to it she could look into it later. For now it was just another distraction from the shore and the city. Republic City was still a fair distance away. Naga could swim it, but she was eager to explore and begin finding Asami. She needed to be there now. With a wash of water she water bent around Naga, pushing them both through the water. The city towered higher and higher as she got closer. The bright lights seeming to leave larger and larger patches of dark between them. The fancy buildings from afar now showed damage and were in need of repair. The bright city was superficial. Segments were still lit, but the closest area to her was darker. Worn down wreckage coated the shoreline, and the buildings beyond resembled empty husks. Had she made the right choice in coming here? It was far too late to go back. Fear gripped her heart but she pushed it back. Swallowing hard,


	3. The Missing Child

This fic is a collaboration between Danseru_kun (story and scenario building) and **Sanctum_C (prose and editing)** to rewrite Korra's story with alternate events in mind and an attempt to tap potential storylines that were not explored in canon. The most significant canon deviation is that Korra was successfully abducted by the Red Lotus. From there, this fanfic will also explore the changes to the world resulting with the disappearance of the Avatar after Aang.

The most important characters in this story will be Korra, Asami, Bolin and later on, Kuvira. Other The Legend of Korra characters like Mako, Tenzin, his family, Gaang descendants, and various villains may still play important roles. We aim to develop these characters and deepen relationships through different circumstances and choices from canon.

We know many of you are very interested on what ships will happen in the story, but we're only doing the relationship tags as they become relevant. Also since this is an alternate universe, the goal is to have different outcomes. Although friendships and personal development will be the main focus of this fanfic, romances will still happen, but what was in canon may not happen here - or at least not quite in the same way.

Thanks to mysral from tumblr for helpful suggestions in the story and for all the brainstorming.

* * *

><p><strong>Book 1: Healing<strong>

**Chapter 3: The Missing Child**

Bolin feigned nonchalance as he scanned the docks again. Even at three in the morning people packed the area. Container ships disgorged their contents before they set sail as soon as they could. Some went to the Fire Nation, others to the Earth Kingdom. Between the hulking vessels, smaller boats provided produce from closer to Republic City. Crews blinked bleary-eyed in the harsh light of the docks before weaving through the crowds to home; to bars; to wherever. There was money here if you had the eyes to see it. Shady Shin demanded a cut and Mako had made clear they needed to go for a good score to keep a decent amount.

It was hard to choose a mark. Bolin was never sure about going for any of the tired workers, slaving all day for what looked like pennies. Mako had tried a certain logic about this once. Would it not be better to relieve them of their wages now before they blew it all on drink or some exotic dancer? Bolin and Pabu condemned that course of action; Mako soon relented. It seemed worse to prey on those, like themselves, who tried to cope with the expense of living in the city. Far better to go after the rich; those who owned these boats, owned the docks, owned half the city.

It was a fine plan, let down only a little by timing. The rich would be asleep by now on feather mattresses and their biggest worry would be if they were quite as rich in the morning. Or perhaps what they would be having for breakfast. Take this girl for example; her concentration not on where she was and the potential dangers. Mako nudged Bolin's shoulder.

"Her. She'll do."

Bolin shook himself. "Oh, hey, yeah."

Mako frowned. "What's the problem? She practically smells of money."

"Y-yeah, I know," Bolin replied, scratching at his scalp. "Just day-dreaming."

"Save that for later. I want you to run interference for me."

Bolin assumed a sterner expression. "Okay."

Mako glanced around and slipped out of the alley-way, heading on a circuitous route towards the girl. Bolin kept his gaze fixed on her.

"Okay Bolin. You can do this. Just... keep her talking." He took a deep breath and walked towards the girl. She did not look up from her notes, leafing through the pages, her lips set into a thin line. She wandered towards him, still not looking up. Closer, closer. There. With a practiced stumble, Bolin swayed into the girl, knocking her arm and scattering her papers to the ground.

"Whoa. Sorry there," he said as she crouched and grabbed at the papers.

"No, it's okay," she said, looking only at her papers. She was scowling, his presence already forgotten as she plucked the sheets from the ground. She sifted through them with practiced fingers and re-ordered the pages. Bolin began to wonder if Mako needed him for this at all; the mark was doing a good job of distracting herself. He could lean down right now and snag her purse. Or maybe her necklace. She seemed to have forgotten him already, rising to her feet and walking forward, already reading. Bolin fidgeted for a moment, wondering if he should do something more. A figure appeared behind her. Mako. He had his mask on and Bolin rushed to affix his own as his brother's fingers hooked the girl's necklace. She span around, the movement enough to break the clasp open. The girl looked shocked, her expression soon darkening into anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, moving towards him as Mako thrust the necklace into his pocket. Her fingers caught the edge of his mask, ripping the elastic and leaving Mako's face bare. Bolin moved on impulse, pushing girl back and grabbing at the purse on her arm. She let out a pained noise as she hit the dock and Mako ran in the same moment. Bolin charged after his brother.

There was an angry shout from behind them, but Bolin concentrated on running. They ducked back into the alley-way, over a fence, up one fire-escape, through the incomplete apartment block, over another fence and onto the streets. They were both breathing hard, taking a moment to regain their breath. Mako grinned, his expression freezing and changing to dismay as he stared over his brother's shoulder. Bolin span around. A Sato mobile was completing a wide skid as it arced around the corner. The windshield reflected the street-lights for a moment and then the angle changed. The girl from before was staring at them in fury.

"Run," Mako yelled, hurrying towards the alley across the road. Bolin was seconds behind, unable to ignore the sound of an accelerating vehicle getting closer fast. They were half-way down the alley when he heard the sound of running feet behind them. He glanced back. The girl was racing towards him, her car blocking the end of the alley at an awkward angle. Bolin ran. Ahead Mako vaulted a fence; Bolin reached it a moment later, his feet pushing off the wall to get him over as fast as possible. He chanced another look back as they rounded a corner. The girl was struggling at the fence, pulling herself over with effort. Mako took a quick right and then a left, jumped two more fences and vaulted up onto a fire-escape. The metal clanged beneath their feet and they ducked down, looking back the way they came.

"Do you thin-." Mako cut himself off as the girl rounded the corner. She rushed up to the last fence they vaulted, her head and shoulders just about clearing the obstacle. She stared ahead, looking down the alley, immobile. Her lips curled and she spoke, her words lost in the distance and ambient noise of the city. After a moment she let gravity pull her back down onto the other side of the fence and began retracing her steps, looking dejected.

"She didn't see us," Bolin said, stretching his legs as he sought a more comfortable sitting position.

"Yeah," Mako replied, sounding distracted.

"What's up with you?" Bolin asked.

"She... looked upset." Mako frowned, his hand delving into his pocket and extracting the necklace. He stared at it without speaking.

Bolin scratched at his head. "It was your idea to go after her Mako. But you know what? She's rich. She can get a new purse." He gestured to the necklace. "She can get a new necklace. You said it yourself. We need the money. We need to pay Shady Shin." He held up the purse. "Let's go give him his cut and get home."

Home was a small shack, wedged between two larger buildings. They had built it together as temporary shelter until things improved. Things never did. Bed was a spot on the floor, close to the dining area and what passed for the kitchen. Mako lay straight down, facing towards the wall. Bolin dithered for a moment as he fussed Pabu, the red panda delighted to see him. He sat stroking his pet for a long while and watched Mako feign sleep.

"Hey, Mako?"

His brother paused a moment before speaking. "What?"

"Are you asleep?"

"No," his brother replied with an exasperated sigh.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Mako rolled over to look at Bolin out of the corner of his eye. Bolin held both his hands up. "I know, I know. It didn't feel right this time."

Mako rolled away from Bolin again. "We needed to do it to survive. Like you said. She's rich. She can stand to lose her purse."

"Her purse and her necklace," Bolin amended.

"Right," Mako said, sounding distracted. "And if she's carrying around that much cash..." He trailed off. "It's not like she's not the first person we've mugged."

"Yeah, but she looked pretty upset."

Mako rolled onto his back. "I bet all of them look upset. If we ever stopped to care."

Bolin sighed. "You know we can't afford to think like that. It's not like we have many other options. She was just a little different to normal; no one else has ever chased us that far. Did you see how angry she looked when she drove after us?" Bolin watched his brother with care. "And I don't think we ever robbed a hottie like her before. Ah, she was something else. Drop dead gorgeous, beautiful hair..."

"Yeah," Mako murmured. His hand shifted under the tiny, thread-bare blanket and withdrew the necklace.

"You kept that?" Bolin exclaimed. Mako remained silent, staring at the stolen jewelry. "Oh, Mako. What if Shin finds out?"

Mako sighed. "Relax. Shin's not going to find out. The purse was enough. He didn't need this too."

"Yeah, but, if we gave him that too, maybe we'd have enough money for three days instead of two." Bolin narrowed his eyes. "Instead, we're poorer and you're suddenly concerned with random people you don't even know."

Mako did not reply and instead fumbled with the locket suspended from the necklace. It flipped open and Mako looked inside. Without another word he held it out to Bolin. There was a photograph depicting a woman with more than a passing resemblance to the girl sat with smiling with a child. "I think this needs to go back to it's owner. We shouldn't have taken it."

"We nothing, Mako. You chose to pull that off her neck."

"Fine," Mako snapped. "Yeah, I took it from her. Should have just gone for the purse and gotten out of there."

Bolin threw up his hands. "Well, too late now. She knows you're the one who took it. If you take it back to her, do you really think she's going to pat you on the head and say thank you and that'll be the end of it? She's rich, Mako! The cops'll be over you in a heartbeat." Bolin sat up a bit straighter. "Wait a minute. I know she was gorgeous, but-."

"What are you-."

"Do you think she'll fall for your dashing figure and fall head over heels for you? Give you a kiss as a reformed criminal who's seen the error of his ways?" Bolin leant forward.

"Knock it off," Mako growled. "You don't have to help me. I'll do it and deal with the consequences." He stared up at the ceiling.

Bolin chuckled. "So Mako's a good guy and he's just been pretending all along?" Bolin leaned back against the wall. "Thing is, getting back to her isn't going to be easy. I mean, if you at least if you knew where she lived you could try and drop it off anonymously, but you don't have the first idea. Maybe if you'd reached this conclusion earlier we could have looked through her purse."

"I'll figure out a way," Mako said, his jaw firm.

"What's this? Is this the start of a forbidden love story?" Bolin's voice rose in volume, adopting a deeper tone somewhat akin to a radio serial. "Mako, the poor street orphan falls in love with a high society dame. Against the wishes of the beautiful girl's esteemed father, mother, grandfather, grandmother and indeed Uncle, they elope together." Mako rolled over and watched as Bolin became more animated, Pabu leaping for safety from his lap. "The girl's family, incensed by their actions summons an army of benders to got after them and tear the couple apart."

Mako was smiling. "And then what? Guy dies and the girl builds a city she names after the two of them?"

"No," Bolin shook his head. "That would be so cliche. I'm thinking of something... grander." He fell silent, a glint in his eye.

"And this grander thing is?"

Bolin stretched his hand out in front of him and described a wide arc in the air. "The Avatar."

"The Avatar?"

"Yes. The lost Avatar comes in at the last moment and defeats all the benders. She saves the day, chastises the girl's parents, and ushers in a new era of peace and equality. And she ensures the poor street-orphan and his dashing brother have somewhere decent to live. Mako marries the dame, his brother marries the gorgeous Avatar and everyone lives happily ever after."

"I'm sure that's more of a cliche than my idea," Mako replied, laughing.

* * *

><p>Tenzin leant forward in his chair, fidgeting; this meeting had been going on too long.<p>

"On behalf of myself and my brother, as representatives of our respective tribes, I wish to thank you Firelord for your assistance this past year." Unalaq and Tonraq leant forward towards Izumi, who acknowledged both with a nod.

"Given the Earth Queen's recent actions, and her increased hostility over the last year, I do not think I could have refused the aid," she replied.

Tonraq looked at Unalaq with concern. Unalaq nodded, his face grave as Tonraq spoke. "Firelord; we have a further request. Our economies are being destabilized by the influx of refugees from the Earth Kingdom." He trailed off, glancing down at his notes.

"It is not as if we are not prepared to give aid to those seeking to flee the oppressive regime of the Earth Kingdom, but there are limits to what our tribes can bear," Unalaq interjected.

Izumi smiled. "Do not concern yourselves. The Fire Nation will extend to you humanitarian aid to assist with these issues. In addition, we will deploy the United Forces to safe-guard Republic City and both Water Tribes."

Relief flooded through Tenzin. "I trust they will be sufficient to no longer require my presence in the city?"

Izumi frowned. "Naturally. If you have some pressing other..." She trailed off, her expression faltering as there was a change in the air. "Oh." The room was silent for a moment. "You still intend to continue searching?"

"Of course," Tenzin frowned. "We must find her. I must train her."

"But it has been so long. If she is hidden or some accident befell her..." Izumi glanced down at the table. "My father spent too long searching for Aang once."

"But think of all the good that came as a result of that pursuit," Tenzin said, the mention of his father sending a twinge through him. "And if we cannot find her soon, there is every chance the Earth Queen will escalate her actions, and there is little we can do."

"As good as the end result of Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko's friendship was, it is hard to ignore that it is directly responsible for the current predicament." Suyin spoke up, all eyes turning to her. "I'm sorry. But thanks to the Fire Nation's sharing of technology, the Earth Kingdom grew it's army under the former King."

"Suyin," Tenzin began.

Izumi cleared her throat. "The Fire Nation regrets their role in our current political situation. However, those past decisions were intended as a positive for the world. That there were those in the Earth Kingdom who turned the circumstances to their own benefit does not mean the Fire Kingdom should not have shared their knowledge. If the political fallout was not potentially more disastrous we would try to intervene directly with the current situation. There are very few who could."

"Korra," Tenzin murmured. He raised his voice. "That is why we must find the Avatar."

"The water tribe fully supports your goal, Tenzin," Unalaq said.

"We need to find her," Tonraq added. "We need the Avatar. Just look around this table; the Earth Queen has not even sent an emissary. Korra would be a true neutral party in these conflicts." There was a snort across the table, but Tonraq ignored it. "Please. I do not like to think of those who took her and what their motives might be. What they might make the Avatar do if they have moulded her way of thinking." Unalaq touched his brother's shoulder as Tarrlok sat forward.

"High minded words. But let's be honest here." Tarrlok gestured at Tenzin. "It's not your place to go chasing rumours about the Avatar. Let the White Lotus do their job. And Tonraq? I can't help but feel your concern is more over your lost daughter rather than the reinstatement of the Avatar."

"Tarrlok," Tenzin said, with an edge to his voice.

"I do miss my daughter deeply. I would give almost anything to have her back. But please believe me when I say I wish for the Avatar to help us in these darker times," Tonraq replied.

"And yet, there is nothing to prove she was the Avatar, no matter what you say. There were any number of claims after Aang d- passed away," Tarrlok said, his gaze flicking to Tenzin for a moment. "Korra was one of several born at the right time and to the right tribe that we know of. There may be others we might not. The Avatar could be anywhere."

"I cannot believe you can be so dismissive. I-"

Tarrlok interrupted. "We have bigger issues. The loss to a parent of their child is sad, but we have to think of all the nation's circumstances."

"I regret that I must concur," Izumi said.

"And I," Suyin replied, looking away from Tonraq.

Tarrlok's voice lowered. "I do not mean to be crass, Tonraq, but there is a more worrying possibility."

"No," Tonraq murmured.

"If the Avatar was killed too soon, if the cycle began again, then that would mean the next incarnation of the Avatar would come from the Earth Kingdom." Tarrlok sat back. "And the implications of that are too horrible to contemplate."

"She's still alive, Tarrlok," Tonraq said grimacing. "I know she is."

"If she is, she's seventeen by now. If she is, she must be able to bend more than one element. Someone would have seen her. The existence of the Avatar is a hard thing to hide. Someone would have slipped up, someone would have said something to someone else and we would hear rumors of her. We have heard nothing." Tarrlok's face grew sombre. "Running from the notion will do you no good. Maybe Korra was the Avatar. Maybe the Earth Kingdom was responsible for the kidnapping and took steps to give rise to the Avatar amongst the Earth benders; they know how the cycle works like everyone else."

"She's alive," Tonraq roared, his fist slamming into the table.

"Please," Tenzin held up both his hands. "Please, calm yourselves. Both of you." He glared at Tarrlok. "I am certain Korra is alive and well. Avatar Aang was lost for a century and was able to complete his training. Korra has only been missing fourteen years. If she is the Avatar we need to find her. If she is not, then the search must continue regardless. In any event, the Avatar, whether Korra or another water tribe member or even someone of the Earth Kingdom will eventually come to me." The chamber was silent. "Do not forget that they cannot truly be the Avatar until they have mastered all four elements. The Avatar will inevitably come to me. Or if it takes too long then one of my children. If the next Avatar is also gone for a century, then it will likely be my daughter's or my granschildren's duty to train them."

Tarrlok leaned forward seeming amused. "Then there is no need to seek the Avatar out at all. They will come to you. All we need to do is wait. In the meantime we must deal with the Earth Queen."

"Don't be so quick to judge the Avatar," Tenzin warned. "Even without mastery over all four elements, the Avatar is still a force to be reckoned with."

Tarrlok opened his mouth to retort, but Suyin cut him off. "That will be quite enough for today. I am afraid I have a pressing other engagement. Until next time." Tenzin remained seated as the others gathered up papers and exchanged hushed words. He was soon left him alone in the chamber. With a sigh, he pushed himself up from the table and stalked out.

"Tenzin?" He turned to find Lin looking concerned.

"Lin. How are you?"

"I'm good," she said still frowning. "You don't look like you're in the best of moods."

Tenzin grimaced. "No, not in the best frame of mind."

"Want to talk about it?"

Tenzin, let himself look at her for a moment, remembering how things had been, how things were more or less okay again now. "Sort of." He sighed. "I mentioned wanting to look for the Avatar again today. Most of them still think it's pointless. Except her father and his brother; Tonraq is still adamant his daughter was the Avatar but..."

Lin nodded. "And the White Lotus have only his word she could bend fire and water. I know." Tenzin looked at her. "Tenzin," she said with exasperation. "It was one of the things you always talked about while we were going out. All the time. How you were going to have to train her because there was no one else left." She smiled. "How you didn't feel worthy of the duty. Even after I kept reminding you who your dad was."

"It's no laughing matter, Lin."

"I'm not laughing at you, Tenzin. I'm just reminding you. You don't have to justify yourself to me. I know how important this is to you." Lin's smile widened, and Tenzin frowned. "Still not laughing," she said. "Just, I hope you remember that you asked if I would be willing to train her in Earthbending? And if I could maybe teach her metal bending too."

Tenzin's frown persisted a few more seconds before he smiled back. "I remember. And I still think you would be an excellent teacher. Lin; if you could teach her metal bending... Well. That's something dad never got the hang of."

Lin smirked. "Mom did say earth bending gave him the most problems back in the day."

"It did. He and mother did not start on the best foot with your mother when they first met."

"That's mom for you-." Lin cut herself off as a metal bender hurried up to her.

"Ma'am? We've had a request for assistance at the docks. A water bender migrant is attacking the harbour patrol."

* * *

><p>After so long Senna could for the most part get through the day without her thoughts straying to Korra. Even if she did realize she was trying to turn her thoughts away from her kidnapped daughter, the sting of sorrow did not last long. She had to not dwell on Korra's whereabouts, her health, the long years without her parents. It worked well enough until today - when she ran across the cot Korra used as a child. The memories overwhelmed her in a rush and she sat in silence as she worked through them. It was better to face them; if she tried to distract herself, her mind would only remind her later of her lost, beautiful daughter.<p>

Fourteen years ago the most pressing question had been whether Korra would be a water bender like her parents. But even by age two, Korra showed no predisposition towards bending. If she was a water bender, she was taking longer than normal to exhibit the inherent ability. Senna's own mother commented on more than one occasion she had been certain her daughter began bending while still in the womb. Time wore on and Senna found herself day-dreaming; what if Korra turned out to be more than just a water bender? The Avatar would be reborn to the water tribe in this cycle. Senna conceived Korra in the right time-frame. What would life be like if it turned out she was the mother of the Avatar? Senna would sigh soon after the thought; just a day-dream. How could she have borne the Avatar when Korra showed no sign of bending ability?

The day the tent caught fire, the Avatar and bending were the last things on her mind. All she knew was that Korra was inside and in danger. She called to her husband in a panic and between them, they extinguished the flames. Senna did not waste another second, rushing inside to check on Korra. Her daughter sat on the floor in front of the blackened, damaged wall, sobbing.

"Korra," Senna exclaimed, sinking to her knees and hugging her daughter tight. "Thank the moon you're alright."

Korra sniffed, tears streaking her face. "I'm sorry," she wailed, her head pressed against Senna's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Where had the fire come from? There was nothing there but some books and a few scattered decorations. There were no flints or matches close at hand. The fire seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"I made fire come out. And I dropped it." Korra said between gulping sobs.

"What do you mean?" Senna asked with a sinking feeling.

Korra leant back. "Like this," she said, a plume of fire springing from her hand. It splashed against the wooden floor, charring the wood. There was a hiss as the wood blackened and a thin stream of smoke rose up from the spot. "I'm sorry."

Senna shushed her daughter, her mind reeling. Korra was a fire bender? She had never heard of the child of two bender parents skilled in another element like that. A chill swept though her. Was Korra not her daughter then? Had she been somehow substituted by the midwife? Senna frowned. No; the birth had taken place in this tent, Tonraq had been by her side the entire time and she had not passed out once. She remembered the child she gave birth to. The same child now wailed and sobbed in her embrace. There was no possibility of a switched baby. Korra was her daughter and Senna knew Tonraq was the father. But would he believe her if he knew Korra could bend fire? Would he think she had been unfaithful? Could he conceive that her day-dreams might be correct?

"Is she okay?" Tonraq asked as he entered their home. Senna jumped.

"She's not hurt."

He looked relieved, his gaze drawn to the inner wall. "What happened?" Korra's wail grew in volume and Senna patted her back, shaking her head.

"Please, just let's leave it be for now."

Tonraq frowned, but nodded. Senna was nothing but nerves through the rest of the day. She watched Tonraq out of the corner of her eye, doting on Korra and dreading nightfall. She braced herself for what she was about to say, entering the bedroom with slow, reluctant steps. Senna did not bother to undress and sat on the end of the bed, staring at the floor. "Senna? Are you okay?" Tonraq asked.

She allowed herself a wan smile. "I don't know anymore." She took a deep breath. "The fire today. It was... Korra's fault."

"Did she get hold of some matches or something?" Tonraq asked. Senna shook her head.

"No. She... bent... fire."

She braced herself for his reaction, readied herself to leave her home, leave her husband, take her child. She would need to try and find somewhere else to live as the temperature plunged and the populace sealed themselves in for the night.

"She bent fire?" Tonraq's voice tinged with disbelief. He fell silent and the seconds stretched out. Senna could not even bring herself to look at her husband out of the corner of her eye. "She'll need a teacher then. We don't want her to get hurt."

Senna's head jerked around in amazement. Tonraq was staring at the ceiling. "Do you think..." she began.

Tonraq completed the sentence and not in the way she feared. "That she's the Avatar? It's certainly possible."

Senna flung herself forward, her arms reaching around Tonraq's neck and pulling him into an embrace. "Thank you."

"What did you think I was going to say?"

Senna buried her face against her husband's shoulder. "I worried you might think I'd been cheating on you, and-." She broke off as Tonraq's lips touched her forehead.

"Senna, I love you. I trust you more than anyone else in the world. Korra is my daughter." His hand stroked her hair, his voice soft. "I would still think of her as my daughter whoever the father was."

"She is yours," Senna insisted. Tonraq smiled and squeezed her tighter.

Korra first bent water a few weeks later. Senna forbade her from fire bending; both inside and outside. The water bending was at least less risky, and Korra demonstrating the skill delighting Senna. If only it had not come while they were bathing together. Mother and daughter shivered as they watched as the last of the warm water vanished down the drain.

Later that same day Tonraq wrote a note to the White Lotus and a second to his brother advising them of the situation. Korra was earth bending before either replied, and there was no doubt in her parent's mind; Korra was the next Avatar. Senna appended new rules to the no fire bending rule; no earth bending in the house or in the village - and never the three together. News of the Avatar's discovery would draw many different types of people. Korra was only three; she was not yet ready for the pressures her destiny had set in motion for her. Senna and Tonraq made the decision not to tell Korra the truth about herself. Not yet anyway. Senna kept a close eye on her daughter, waiting for the day she air bent as well.

Disaster fell a few days before the White Lotus arrived. Tonraq learned the details when he returned from fishing, a sobbing Senna awaiting him on the docks. A quartet of strangers entered the village hours earlier; a fire bender, an earth bender, a water bender and their non-bending leader. Each bender exhibited skill almost beyond measure. Even the non-bender was troublesome to any standing in his way. To his deepening horror, Tonraq learned the strangers kidnapped any child between three and four. Senna had defended Korra as best she could but she could not contend with all four of the strangers at once.

A rescue team set out before night-fall, following the stranger's trail. It was easy. Too easy. The water tribe searchers moved with caution as the route lead them into a nearby forest; perfect for an ambush. It never came. Instead they found a bonfire, the missing children huddled close to it for warmth. Each had a blanket and sufficient supplies for another two days. It almost did not feel like a kidnapping; more that the children had been on an overnight excursion. Except for one detail: Korra was missing.

None of the children had the first idea why the group took Korra who protested and struggled as they disappeared into the forest. To Tonraq and Senna there could be no mystery - the group had wanted the Avatar. With great reluctance Tonraq admitted their speculation about Korra to the rest of the village. The reactions varied; to have the Avatar originate from their own community was a great honor. But that the presence of Korra had caused those panicked hours of searching was not a price many felt fair. Tonraq begged the White Lotus agents to assist with the search. They agreed, though not without some reluctance and many caveats. Korra was not the only potential Avatar reported to them. For two days, Tonraq, the White Lotus and a few other villagers scoured the woods for clues. But contrary to the easy trail before, the kidnappers obliterated their trail. There was no trace of the group or Korra.

Whispers haunted Senna and Tonraq ever since. Why had they only kidnapped Korra? Because she was the Avatar? Or was the reason much more prosaic? Gossipers let slip unpleasant other possibilities when they thought her parents could hear them. These never quite rang true; Korra was neither the youngest nor oldest of the group. Her only distinguishing difference was the aspect they made sure to hide. Senna found herself fantasizing as time wore on. If Tonraq had not gone out fishing, if she had been able to hold the kidnappers off for a few moments longer. If only there were those who did not want the Avatar's return, or sought to corrupt her destiny.

The couple remained childless in the years that followed. They tried more than once for a brother or sister who might one day meet Korra. But Senna's body would not cooperate and every attempt ended in sorrow they could not bear to even try. Fourteen long years had passed, the pain diminishing only in halting steps over that time. Hope was all they had left and whenever she or Tonraq saw a water tribe girl in her late teens, they both shared the same thought. Could this be Korra, all grown up and now free of whatever had befallen her? Was their daughter found at last? It was a futile hope and the sting of disappointment when they say the girl's face still hurt more than they could have imagined.

* * *

><p><strong>re: Skittymon <strong>

_I like what you have so far. I think that oblivious!Korra is really adorable, but wouldn't she remember some things from her life with her family? And is her Mom and Dad really dead or did the Red Lotus lie to her? I'm very eager to see how you bring Kuvira and how the rest of the story plays out._

**Me:** Kuvira will be important in Book 2, very much but she'll have a role in this book ;) We'll have more of Korra's past memories in the following chapters.

**re: Dawn on fire **

_This is such an interesting take. Is there any long-lasting effects from being raised by the Red Lotus that will cause conflict between Korra and the others?_

**Me:** Maybe. Let's just say the effects of her upbringing will be shown one way or another.

** Amme92**

_Great start and as a Korrasami fan you know what I'm hoping for XD (I'm totally open to Korvira tooXD)_

**Me:** Can't tell you what happens, but I can assure you I aim to give Korra a lot of well-developed relationships in this fanfic :)

Thanks for the reviews :)


	4. First Meeting

Summary:

For the second time in two centuries, the Avatar is lost. Asami Sato realizes she might once have met the Avatar in the far North, and a young woman named Korra begins to rebel against her guardians; the Red Lotus.

Notes:

This fic is a collaboration between Puffie (story and scenario building) and Sanctum-C (prose and editing) to rewrite Korra's story with alternate events in mind and an attempt to tap potential storylines that were not explored in canon. The most significant canon deviation is that Korra was successfully abducted by the Red Lotus. From there, this fanfic will also explore the changes to the world resulting with the disappearance of the Avatar after Aang.

The most important characters in this story will be Korra, Asami, Bolin and later on, Kuvira. Other The Legend of Korra characters like Mako, Tenzin, his family, Gaang descendants, and various villains may still play important roles. We aim to develop these characters and deepen relationships through different circumstances and choices from canon.

We know many of you are very interested on what ships will happen in the story, but we're only doing the relationship tags as they become relevant. Also since this is an alternate universe, the goal is to have different outcomes. Although friendships and personal development will be the main focus of this fanfic, romances will still happen, but what was in canon may not happen here - or at least not quite in the same way.

We might also take some liberties in re-writing some rules in the Avatarverse to suit our story.

* * *

><p><strong>Book 1: Healing<strong>

**Chapter 4: First Meeting**

"Hey."

Breathing was difficult. It did not feel like she was getting anywhere near enough air into her lungs with each wheezing breath. The air felt stale, cloying, warm. The wind was sluggish on her arms, almost like it was catching and sticking to her. She felt too warm and moving was too much effort. Something patted her side. She swiped at the sensation, her head, back, arms, legs all aching. Everything was in pain. It felt as if she had closed her eyes only moments ago in the dark and now the light was far too bright to open them.

"Hey you." The voice sounded angry. Korra opened her eyes a fraction, shielding them from the glare. Two strangers stared down at her, both scowling. Korra wiped at her eyes, trying to displace the gunk glued to her eyelids and winced. She stared down at the millions of tiny crystals adhering to her hand. What was this stuff?

"Finally awake, eh?" The woman did not pause as Korra's eyes streamed and she dabbed at her eyelids with the edge of her shirt. "What are you doing here? You look a bit too young to have been up all night drinking. And this early in the week too."

The man with her spoke up. "So you agree? She's probably just another unregistered immigrant, right?"

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Hey." The woman nudged Korra with her boot. "You need to tell us some stuff sharpish. We need name, address if you've got one, or failing that, we need a look at your travel papers."

"Leave me alone," Korra muttered, scowling at them both.

"So you can speak," the woman said. "Listen. Don't take that tone of voice with me. I have the power to chuck you on the first boat headed who know's where but which is assuredly away from here. And ain't nothing you can do about it."

"'course," the man interjected. "You could wind up there anyway. If you ain't got documentation."

"So, show us your permit, or your immigration papers and we'll tell you to have a nice day."

"I'm not showing you anything," Korra said, trying to sit up, Naga mirroring her action.

"Hey, hey. We need your papers, ma'am." The woman put a sarcastic emphasis on the last word. "We also need your exotic pet ownership details for your, ah, pet there."

"I'm not doing anything wrong," Korra said, her head still throbbing. A parched throat and a hollow stomach seemed lesser concerns than if she had made the biggest mistake of her life yesterday.

"You kinda are. See this here beach you were, ah, sleeping on? This beach is part of Republic City. You live here? We don't care what you do - mostly. Sleep, live, party, grow cabbages? Knock yourself out. If you don't live here, well, then there's these really boring, but very important things called laws the tribes agreed on. Once of which is you don't get into this city without a passport and immigration papers."

"And if you don't have them, you get to go to the Refugee Centre. If you're lucky someone'll sponsor your immigration. Big if though. Chances are you'll be on the first ship headed some place else." The man had the trace of a smile on his lips.

Korra sighed. "Really? You expect me to play by your rules? I don't have time for this, I'm the A-." Her eyes widened and she cut herself off, ingrained control and behaviour kicking in. As much as she was sure Zaheer had kept things from her, she did not know how much of what he and the others had said was untrue. Were there evil leaders, watching, waiting for the Avatar to twist her to their own devices? That remained uncertain. For now; "Just leave me alone or I'll make you."

Both the strangers smirked. "Is that a threat?" The woman asked. "'Cause, you see, that's one of those other laws people are quite keen on. Resisting arrest is pretty bad."

"It sounded like a threat," the man added. "And if you do try fighting us, then you get to skip out on the Refugee Centre part and go straight to jail. And that's much less fun for you."

Korra smirked. "But only if you win. Right?"

"Well, yeah," The woman blinked, surprised. She broke into a smile. "But we can call for back-up if you get rowdy. As far as I can see, there's just you. So, one more time. You going to tell us your name, show us your papers or are you going to make things difficult for all of us?"

Korra hummed as she clapped her hands together and cracked her knuckles. "What am I going to do? Well..."

She opened with one of Ming's best moves, most effective against a small number of opponents. No need for crowd control here. Controlling a water tentacle had not been the easiest thing to learn. For her teacher the water was always part of her, it's movements and motions stemming from the impulses within herself. Ming had tried to open Korra's mind up to the same viewpoint, but there had always been a dissonance. The water sources Korra used were rarely right in front of her. Even when she formed limbs as her teacher could, it became easy to mix up her own with the liquid projections. Not that Ming ever tolerated that as an excuse; it was not as if her teacher relied only on her own watery limbs. Her footwork was often devastating, Korra too often focusing on the water rather than her opponent as a whole. Practice after practice had drilled the concepts and movements into Korra's mind. At least now it was second nature to funnel two whip like tendrils from the nearby sea and ensnare both stranger's ankles.

Their expressions of superiority and confidence vanished as she flicked up into the air. Korra winced as they fell; this was different to her teachers, different to the training dummies. These were real people and they were not landing on snow. The woman landed in an awkward heap on the beach some distance away, while the man smacked onto the raised area close by. He screamed in pain as he hit the ground, shouting out to his companion that his leg felt broken. The woman stumbled upright and moved away from her opponent. Korra felt a pang of guilt shoot through her but ignored it; she had won. Her first fight against an unfamiliar opponent and she had won in moments. Korra frowned. What was the woman doing? She caught fragments of a hasty speech made into a box. The woman looked back at Korra with panicked eyes, saying something about 'a water bender' and 'backup'.

"I've called for reinforcements," the woman yelled. "And an ambulance."

Her words were confusing, though the man looked relieved. He was still staring at her, his expression fearful. If nothing else the demonstration seemed to have worked. Both strangers remained distant and wary; Korra doubted she had much to fear from the one with the broken leg. An odd, repetitive sound became audible. What was that? Korra cast around trying to reconcile the acoustics. She noticed something heading towards them accompanied by blinking lights. The woman smirked.

"Ah, you're for it now," she called out. "We would have just detained you but now the cops are on the way. And you ain't got any chance against them. I hope they have metal benders with them."

Her words rankled, and Korra's first impulse was to stay and fight the approaching threat. No. This was not how she wanted to do things. Not after getting here. Zaheer's words came to her, unwanted, but relevant. There were stronger benders in the world than her teachers. And metal bending? Ghazan had never even mentioned if such a thing was possible. Everything she had learned suggested that such a thing was nigh on impossible; if there were those who could bend metal-. Korra shook her head; staying too was risky.

"Come on, girl," she said to Naga as she leapt onto the polar bear dog's back and flicked the reins. Naga ran forward, up off the beach and away from the approaching noises. Korra turned the polar bear dog down the first opening she found and turned once more as soon as possible, moving in a rough diagonal. Even as Naga ran, Korra stared at the new sights all around her. People. People everywhere. More people that she had ever seen in her life.

"Thirty million," she murmured. Her curiosity was almost enough to make her forget to direct Naga down the next turning. She forced herself to concentrate even as she stared at the people around her. A lot of them stared back in wonderment. Strange, loud boxy objects with people inside sped alongside her and past her. Were these the cars Asami had spoken of? The sound was like the noises Asami had made, and she could see they moved with speed. "Were they always that fast?" Korra let herself smile for a moment. This was the biggest step towards finding Asami since locating the research station. But there were other much less pleasant sights here. Things Asami had not mentioned. Children and adults with ragged clothes slumped at intervals, huddling out of the way of a persistent flow of people. The buildings all around them had cracks and broken windows.

This was not the halcyon world that Asami's words painted all those years ago. Had it changed over time or had it always been like this? How much had Asami's family life influenced her words; it was hard to imagine her coming from such conditions. How different might her words have been if she had originated from amongst these people? No. No it would not do to doubt Asami. Not now. Not after coming so far, after flouting so many rules. Both Asami and the monk wanted her to come to Republic City; this could not be all there was here. But likewise she could not just ignore what she was seeing. Odd lessons, and speeches about the evils of the outside world bubbled up out of memory. It was not different enough. Korra shook her head; she would come back later. She would make sure there were no more hungry children on the streets, no one without a home. If she was to be a force for good, then this was where she would start.

Her stomach growled, the gurgling accompanied by a twist in her abdomen. How long since she last ate anything? Too long. She glanced around, hoping that she had gone far enough to evade the 'backup'. No easy way to tell. The next available turning lead to a narrower path between two buildings; it felt more secluded. At least it was somewhere to pause and take stock of the situation. Korra pulled back on the reins and with nervous glances, slid from Naga's back. People and cars passed by the path; some glanced down it, staring at her for a moment as they walked but otherwise did not react. Most just ignored her. Korra sank to the ground, keeping a messy pile pile of junk between her and the milling populace. The air smelled foul, her nose wrinkling at the scent. At least it helped distract from the next rumble in her stomach.

Korra leant her head back and closed her eyes. Where was the monk? His words suggested he was the reason she had been able to get here, and the statue of him in the harbor confirmed he was famous in this city. Someone must be able to tell her where to find him; the thought gave her a shiver of excitement. She was so close now, even if she had no idea where she was. Maybe she should have tried to find Asami's house? No. The size of the statue meant it would be visible from a wide area - being able to see it was almost no help at all. The dark behind her eyes felt good, the wall uncomfortable, but she was too tired to care. The next thing she was aware of was Naga growling. Korra's eyes flew open; she had fallen asleep. There were men all around her, their leering gazes fixed on her, all smiling in an uncomfortable manner.

"Hey, how's about you come with us and party?" The one closest to her said, his words making his companions on either side of him start laughing.

"No thanks," Korra replied, frowning. Her head whipped from side to side, counting how many possible opponents she had. Ten.

"Ah, come on," another said. "We'll treat you nice. We're not like the others." His voice lowered. "We won't kill you after."

Naga growled, and as one of the men approached she lunged for him, her jaws fastened around his wrist. The man screamed in pain, and his companions retaliated. They were all fire benders, all shooting flames straight at the polar bear dog. Korra screamed in fury as fire flew through the air. She moved on reflex, the fire pliable in her hands as she caught it before it could splash onto Naga.

* * *

><p>Bolin rolled his eyes. Mako still looked pensive even after what passed for a decent night's sleep. Sometime over the last day he picked up a new habit and brushed his hip pocket every few moments. Mako had not reacted well to Bolin's suggestion that he leave the locket at home, and pointed out anyone could break in and steal it. Bolin had to admit there was a possibility of that happening, but it still sounded preferable to Mako unable to focus on anything. And the constant checking to see if the necklace had somehow escaped his pocket in the last five seconds. The gang almost did not register as Bolin glanced down the alley - anything to avoid watching Mako fuss over his trinket. He looked back after a moment, his eyes widened at the sight; ten men were hemming in a water tribe girl and some unfamiliar large animal.<p>

Bolin reached behind him, grabbing for Mako and pulled him against the wall.

"Hey-," Mako began as Bolin shushed him. "What's the big idea?" he asked in a quieter voice.

Bolin, peeked back around the corner. "There's a damsel in distress right over there," he said. Mako peered around the corner and stifled a gasp.

"Bolin; don't you know who they are? That's the Akai gang."

"So? She needs our help. And maybe we can talk to them. Criminal to criminal." He frowned. "I thought you were turning over a new leaf?"

Mako scowled. "It's not that simple. We can't just walk away from how we've survived." He peered around the corner again. "And them? They're not criminal like us. You must have heard some of the rumors by now."

"Wait, you mean-. Oh," Bolin gasped. He straightened up. "Well, now we really need to do something."

"No. It's very sad, but we will get ourselves toasted if we just wander up to them and tell them to leave her alone. Don't be a hero. Sure fire way to get yourself dead."

"You think they'd go that far?"

Mako tilted his head to one side considering. "Maybe. Maybe not. But Shin did tell me they burn the hands of their enemies. Burn them to the bone."

Bolin shivered and shook his head. "And so you're just going to leave her? Let them do whatever-."

The scream echoed down the alley and before he knew what he was doing, Bolin charged forward. His thoughts lagged a moment behind his impulses and after a moment he realized the scream had not been fear or pain; it had been fury. The gang looked on bewildered as the girl flung fire at them. The fire benders panicked as their flames splashed back onto them, their stances shifting. The girl did not miss a beat. She kept herself between her attackers and the animal as she punched fireball after fireball at the gang. They retaliated in kind, accompanied by insults, threats and obscenities.

Bolin stamped down onto the ground, directing the force down and forward. A surge of earth burst upwards, blocking the girl off from the gang. She stared at the obstacle in confusion as Mako ran past Bolin, reaching for girl's hand. She snapped it back back, retreating a step and blasting a new ball of fire into his torso. Mako stumbled backwards, his fingers plucking at his clothes and evaporating the fire.

"What's the big idea?" he snapped. "We're trying to help you."

"I don't need your help." A gang member rounded the earth wall and the girl punched another fireball at him; he ducked back to safety. "I can handle this on my own." She was clenching her teeth as she caught another volley of fire and returned it.

"Okay. You can handle yourself. But at this rate you're going to set this whole block on fire." The girl paused for a moment, her gaze flicking to him. "You want your pet to burn?" Mako asked in a quieter voice.

The girl whirled around, her eyes widening as she grabbed for the flaming bag on the back of her pet. The strange animal whimpered, its head darting all around as the flames crackled around them. Bolin sent another wave of earth towards the gang. "I've never seen a pet quite like yours," he commented. The girl just stared at him.

"Come on. Before they regroup, or the cops get here, or the whole place comes crashing down." Mako caught her hand and this time she let him take hold of it. He pulled and she ran with him, darting down the alley and away from the fire. Bolin hurried after them, the girl's pet keeping pace with her master. A few blocks distant, Mako let the girl's hand drop and rounded on her. "What do you think you're doing walking around this part of town on your own?"

The girl blinked, her expression darkening. "And you are? What do you want with me?" She still sounded angry.

Bolin moved to intervene. "Easy there Mako. Easy. Let's all just calm down. She's probably just traumatized by the attack." He smiled as he glanced between them. "Let's give her some space."

"She almost got herself killed. Or worse," Mako replied.

"'She' is standing right here," the girl interjected, glaring at both of them. "Don't ever talk about me as if I'm not here."

"Sorry, sorry," Bolin said, Mako apologizing a moment later. "We're just concerned for you."

"I can take care of myself," the girl said. "What is this place like anyway? I only arrived this morning, get woken up by people demanding things. Then I rest for a few moments before those fire benders show up. How do you live like this?"

"Mako," Bolin said, elongating the 'o'. "She's new in town. She doesn't know how things are. She wouldn't be here if she knew her way around. Y'know. It's kinda like all the mistakes we made when we were younger. And we had mom and dad. And us being male, and-."

"And 'she' is going to remind you that 'she' hates being spoken about like that," the girl snapped. Bolin winced.

"Is that true though?" Mako asked. The girl stayed silent. "You came here on your own? No one else with you? No luggage or anything? Anyone meeting you here? Anyone you're supposed to meet?"

The girl shifted, her posture relaxing a little. "I swam here with Naga." Her hand brushed the polar bear dog's flank as she spoke. "There's..." She frowned. "I don't have family here, but there's two people I need to find." She blinked, frowning again. "And it's none of your business. No more questions."

Mako looked frustrated. "The least you could do is say thank you."

"Thank you for interrupting a fight I had completely under control," the girl replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Fine. Do it your way. But if you want an easier time here, don't use the alleys, don't wander the streets at night, and don't trust people until you know them."

"Okay." The girl smirked. "I'll start by not trusting you."

Mako growled and threw up his hands. He took a deep breath. "I guess I walked into that one. But if you do want one bit of advice; go find the Sato shelters. They only admit women. They're the safest place for you to stay overnight if you don't have anywhere else. C'mon, Bolin."

Mako turned away but Bolin did not budge. "Mako," he said, still looking at the girl. "You know those shelters are the other side of the city. She's new here. How is she ever going to find them? And she's going to attract all kinds of attention dressed like that."

"Look; Bolin is it? Talk to me if you want to talk to me, don't talk to him. And what do you mean 'dressed like that?" the girl asked. Bolin flushed and gestured to her chest. There was a ragged, charred hole in her top, exposing the bandages wrapped around her torso. The girl looked down, confused. She blinked and stared back at him. "So? I don't get what the problem is. I'll be fine on my own. I'll find these shelters. If they really do exist."

Her voice never wavered, but she had bags under her eyes and soot coated her skin. Bolin cleared his throat.

"Hey, um, hi?" She stared at him without blinking, and wow her eyes were pretty. "We, we, we." He coughed. "We just wanted to help you." Voice an octave too high there. "We're not bad guys, I promise." Better. "You look tired. And when was the last time you ate anything?"

Behind him Mako sighed. "Bolin-," he began.

"I..." the girl trailed off, her expression softening.

"So. I think food is the first order of business. Our house isn't far from here, and I don't like to brag, but I'm a pretty awesome cook. My noodles are to die for."

Mako smirked. "Possibly a bit of hyperbole, but they are pretty good."

"See? Even my brother appreciates my cooking." The girl's stomach gurgled and Bolin smiled. "I think that settles the argument," he said, folding his arms. "Oh." He held his hand out. "I'm Bolin."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that," the girl replied, a ghost of a smile appearing as she shook his hand. Bolin felt his cheeks burn as he laughed and turned to his brother. "Mako, introduce yourself."

Mako mimicked Bolin's introduction and shook the girl's hand. "Care to tell us your name?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to either side as one finger scratched at her cheek. She shook herself after a moment. "I'm Korra."

* * *

><p>Something was wrong. The guards were tense in a different way to normal as Zaheer passed them. They shifted their feet, their gazes avoiding his. He wasted no time with them, quickening his pace, Ming and P'li following in his wake. Ghazan sprang to his feet at his approach, but Zaheer spoke before he could open his mouth.<p>

"Korra has escaped." It was not a question.

Ghazan scowled and nodded. "No one saw her go. We're not sure how long - she didn't answer when we knocked on her door just before dawn."

Zaheer let out a sigh. "And her… pet?"

"Gone too. We've searched the compound and the surrounding area. It's possible she just got out to explore and got waylaid."

"No," Zaheer said, staring up at the still visible moon. "No, she has escaped us."

Ghazan stared at him looking worried. "I apologise for my negligence," he said, bowing.

Zaheer shook his head. "It is unnecessary. No amount of apologies or punishments will alter the situation. It is problematic, but we must adapt as best we can. This was a circumstance beyond out control."

There is a low muttering behind him, and a snap in the air. The guards nearby let out strangled yelps as neck deep ice encased them. Zaheer turned, raising an eyebrow at Ming.

"Just because you're fine with what happened, doesn't mean you should let this lot off for incompetence," she sneered.

"This does not help us, Ming."

"No, but we cannot just let them be. Punishment is necessary. And you," she glared at Ghazan. "You were supposed to be keeping a better eye on her.

"Just try it Ming," he replied, shifting his stance, ready to retaliate.

"Enough," Zaheer said with force. "As I said, there is nothing we can do about the events that have transpired. Now we must adapt to a change in circumstance."

"'A change in circumstance'?" Ming exclaimed. "Fourteen years of baby-sitting the Avatar and she wanders off right before she was ready? That's what you consider a change in circumstance? You realize we've lost everything."

"I feel this is a collective failure," P'li added. She glanced at each them in turn. "We gave her too much freedom. We trusted her too easily. We should never have lowered our guard."

Zaheer turned to her, his hand cupping her cheek. "As I said before, what is past is now past. We cannot dwell on our failings in this matter. I too bear responsibility for this outcome. My last conversation with Korra..." He shook his head. "We must look forward. This is not the end; as long as the Red Lotus endures, as long as the Avatar survives, we will not concede defeat."

"And if she should die?" Ming asked.

"We begin again the next Avatar. But until that time we will work to locate Korra."

Ghazan spoke up. "But she could be anywhere by now. We don't know if she found the Northern Water Tribe or reached the Fire Nation. She might have gotten as far as the Earth Kingdom or Republic City."

"Many possible paths... I need time to meditate. Inform the other Red Lotus members - all of them. We will find her. For now, patience," Zaheer said.

"Easy for you to say," Ming sneered. "And just what are we supposed to do in the mean-time?"

"Search again. Look for any trace, any hint of her destination or her escape route."

Zaheer strode away, seeking the privacy of his own chamber. What had lead to Korra's actions? Was it connected to the tension in their fight before? Or was it an aspect of the Avatar they were unaware of? Had her past lives made contact? Zaheer shook his head; he had been specific and cautious about what Korra had learned. She should have been unable to reach the correct mental state, or even come close to it. No. This did not help. He was focussing on the past once again. It was of paramount importance that he deduce Korra's destination and locate her before the White Lotus could. Before the situation became more complicated.

* * *

><p><strong>To all reviewers: Thank you so much! :D<strong>

** Kailyr **

_Wow, this is fantastic. I love it! The writing is superb and the plot is beyond an interesting take, good job so far guys._

RE: Thank you! Your reviews inspire us to improve our work :)

** Kradeiz **

_So far, so good. It's both cool and kinda surreal to have characters from all four books in the council meeting, especially Tarrlok –skip-_

_I am wondering how Unalaq plays into all this, since in canon he was involved in the kidnapping attempt on Korra, even if he escaped blame. Though I could definitely see him using Tonraq's grief to "make amends" and manipulate him, but I hope your version of him is more interesting than the canon. _

_-skip-_

_Bolin seems a fair bit smarter here too, whether because of the AU itself or because more time on the streets had an effect on him, it's nice to see. He had a lot of potential for growth that the show never really cashed in on._

RE: Hello Kradeiz, nice to meet you here! Thank you for checking out our fic and for the very thoughtful review. Hmm about Unalaq, since this is an AU, things will happen differently. We have also written this fic to have an overarching plot until Book 3 so some Book 1 plots will serve as a build-up for things that will happen much, much later.

But I can assure you we have great plans for Bolin.

** jeku **

_I am glad that you are(or seem to be (lol)) giving Asami a bigger role. She was very under used in the show. It will be quite fun to see how you'll be developing Korra's relationships with all characters considering her upbringing in this AU._

_And lastly, will we be enjoying Amon's public speeches at some point? :P_

RE: Thank you for the review! Asami is a main character and will be treated as such in this fic. We have great plans for her.

As for Amon, it depends if the same conflicts will still happen but you'll get a greater picture of the situation of the world in the following chapters.

** Anne **

_Interesting Story! Loved how Asami and Korra first met. I can only imagine how strong Korra would be being trained by the Red Lotus._

RE: Thank you! :)

**Skittymon **

_Nooooo! Why would you make Bolin and Mako mug Asami D: My poor Team Avatar heart just got shattered (does that mean the fire furrets don't exist or is this prior to their probending profession?)._

_My question got answered xD I'm glad you included Izumi and Suyin (so Lin and her have a okay relationship now or was Suyin just picked to be the representative because she's the leader of Zaofu?)._

RE: Things happened differently in this AU *laughs* About Lin and Suyin since this is an AU all that 30 years of no talking didn't happen. Let's just say they're sisters who chose to live different lives. Suyin is the representative of Zaofu yes. The sisters will still play some role in this fanfic but as they received so much focus in the series we don't intend to do the same here.

**Dreamer **

_This is really good. I like the idea you (or one of the others) had with Asami's necklace as well as letting us know early on about a bunch of other characters. I can't help but have a feeling that Bolin's story was a little more than just that...but I don't think all of it will ring true the story is a living, breathing thing after all...(SPOILER(for those who have not read chapter three)): but it does seem to be foreshadowing considering the little snipit about a "water-bending migrant attacking the water patrol..."_

_It's just my hunch though, I will let you spin your tale...or give it room to set it's own course...whichever you prefer._

RE: Oh it's great to have you notice a little detail like that! I'd love to see more of your reviews and theories in the future :)


	5. Adventures and Misfortunes

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 5: Adventures and Misfortunes**

Asami trudged along the street. By now her anger was long gone; it had boiled away sometime after she lost track of her muggers. She no longer felt upset either; the prickling in her eyes when she found her car missing had also faded. Asami's fingers stroked across her throat, the comforting weight of the necklace absent. Where was she going? She should be heading for the nearest police station; right now she was just meandering. The thought linked to another thought and once more she came back to the realization her necklace was gone. Why had she worn it tonight? If she had only left it behind. Asami almost smiled. As if it were that easy; she wanted, no needed, to keep her mother with her.

The hulking mass of the train station loomed into view. Something part-way comforting; at least she could get the train home. Asami swore under her breath; somehow she had managed to forget her purse was gone. Wait. She patted at her jacket, hoping for just a few loose coins. Please. Please have enough to get her across town. Not a great start but how about the inside pocket? It was only be a short walk to her house from after that. Then she could just go to bed and worry about everything else in the morning. It was far too late or early depending on your viewpoint; better to give up and regroup later. She sifted through the coins her search turned up. Just enough. Heaving a sigh of relief, Asami strode up to the ticket teller inside the station and bought her ticket. If she had not had enough; would recognition have worked to get her a free ride? If she made clear who she was, how her family were connected with the trains and other modes of transport in the city? Perhaps. If they knew everything her family had done for the city over the years, then one lousy trip on the train without paying should be more than fair recompense. The Sato family had given so much; technological improvements, transport improvements; they even employed a good chunk of the city populace. The fact that this train system was here at all was all thanks to them.

Asami closed her eyes for a moment and focused, taking a few deep breaths. Calm. No sense getting worked up over this after everything else had gone so wrong today. Asami trudged down the platform and stepped up into the nearest door. She dropped into the first seat she saw, unable to care, though it did not look as if there was anyone else on the train. At least she could have some peace and quiet. Asami stared out of the window as she waited. Most of the other tracks were empty; little call for many trains this early. Twenty-year old technology still running fine. She smiled; definite room for improvements now. Not just theoretical either; she had already designed and crafted the prototypes for new rail systems. They would revolutionize the entire system. And all that stood in the way was getting the council's approval for the changeover. That and their insistence they could not budget for the projected cost. Maybe now would be a good time to convince dad to make another bid to get on the council. Once he managed that they would be able to get new technology in place faster, drag the world further into the future and advance the city. It would be good for everyone. Republic City was already the most advanced city in the world, but there was so much more they could do, so much more they could achieve. They just needed a push.

Asami sighed as the train jolted and began to move. Dwelling on this was not helping either. She cast around for something to distract herself, her gaze alighting on a nearby newspaper. Okay. Something else to think about. Urgh. The headlines were not a great start; violence across the Earth Kingdom. Poverty in towns and cities that were willing to take the refugees flooding out of the war-torn lands. At least the shelters her family provided were still available in Republic City. They had not yet ever filled to capacity, but that would only remain true for so long. And what about elsewhere? Maybe it would be an idea to suggest construction of shelters in other cities? It might be a little harder to convince father of that though; he was wary of his public image. It was easy to dictate and maintain how the shelters operated and vet the staff while in his sphere of influence. Away from the city, control would be minimal and there was every chance something could go wrong. Maybe it would be better to increase the company's donations of humanitarian aid; how much were they giving? Asami made a note to check the financial records once she was home, unsure how much of a difference it was making.

Okay. Something else. Asami leafed through a few more pages, scanning across the headlines as she went. There was a piece on the meeting of the world leaders scheduled for tomorrow. Asami snorted. There had been a time when those meetings were still front page news, and anticipated by everyone. Over time interest had soon waned and articles devoted to them grew shorter. appearing later in the pages. This one was - Asami checked - seventeen pages in. It seemed like a new writer was covering the meetings; someone who had put more effort in than most. More effort seemed a mixed blessing here; there was also a distinct tabloid feel to the text. Was any of this relevant?

_Chief Tonraq is the current representative of the Southern Water Tribe. Originally hailing from the Northern Water Tribe, he repatriated to the Southern Water Tribe after falling in love during an official visit. Despite his successes, Tonraq's life has been marred with tragedy following the abduction of his daughter over a decade ago. While the loss of his daughter is tragic, many are uncertain of his persistent claim that she was the next incarnation of the Avatar - despite no official confirmation from the White Lotus. The ongoing strife in the Earth Kingdom has lead some of Tonraq's supporters to suspect the Earth Queen's involvement in the abduction. Spokespeople for the Kingdom strenuously deny the accusation._

Asami realized she was staring at the words on the page, but not reading them. Her mind was back in the North, staring in amazement as a girl bent fire to keep her warm. No. She had said her parents were dead had she not? Her mystery girl in the snow. Asami sighed. What kind of fantasy was this? There was no doubt she had met someone all those years ago, but the Avatar? So many children had gone missing from the Water Tribe around that time; she could have been one of those victims. Asami worried at her lip with her teeth. If mother had not died, if father had not refused to visit the research station ever again. If things had been different, would it have been possible to meet her nameless friend again? Assuming she would still have waited or even been willing to talk after Asami broke her promise. Still; it was tempting to go back. She was eighteen now and father could not stop her. A trip North would be nice if she ever felt able to take a break. But it seemed futile. So far and for something that happened so long ago. Would she even recognize the girl these days?

Asami blinked at the station as the train pulled in; the police headquarters was only two blocks from here. She hurried off the train; if she had lost anything else she would have let it go. Her purse was no big deal, the car - well they had twenty. But the necklace... That was something else. The desk sergeant looked bored as she related her incident; he jotted down a few notes and and waved her to a waiting area. Asami had little to do but stare around the room; she had left the newspaper on the train. There were other people waiting and once or twice the police escorted the odd criminal through the building. Was it possible they had captured her mugger already and that she might see him marched past? Asami sat up straighter to get a better view but the gap between each sighting grew longer and the novelty soon wore off. Ennui took hold and she slouched into her seat.

"Okay, Miss... Sato?" A detective was stood near the sergeant's desk, staring at some papers in disbelief.

"Here," Asami said, raising her hand as she stood. The detective opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. His eyes bulged a little and he swallowed.

"Miss Sato..." he smiled. "I'm Jin. My apologies. If I had been informed that you were here we would have responded sooner."

Asami frowned. "I don't see why. There were others before me."

"Yes," Jin said, waving her through a door into the interior of the station. He glanced around once they were through. "But sometimes we like to prioritise our cases. And your father has been so very generous to the city and to the police in particular."

"And for some reason that should give me preferential treatment? I don't think so. The law applies universally."

Jin blinked at her. "Whatever you say, ma'am." He glanced at his papers again. "So, you're here to report a mugging? At the docks?"

It took a moment for his words to make sense. "Yes... Yes."

"Okay." Jin gestured to a chair on one side of a desk and sat opposite. "So, what can you tell me about him? Clothing, distinguishing characteristics, tall, short, how he walked and so on?" Asami described her assailant - at least the one she saw the face of - as best she could; the detective nodded as he scribbled notes. "Okay, okay. I think..." He stared off across the room. "I think I might know who your attacker was. If you could just wait for a moment?"

Asami nodded and Jin darted off across the room. Her attention soon wandered. Other detectives hunched over their desks, reading, writing and talking to other people. The desk in front of Asami was far messier than any of the other desks. Jin hurried back to her, a bound, green tome tucked under one arm. He dropped it onto the desk and started paging through it. Inside were sheets and sheets of photographs, various notes and reference numbers.

Jin slowed as he leafed through the book and stopped. He turned the book around to Asami and pointed to one photo. "Based on what you've told me, I think it might be this guy." Asami's breath caught in her throat. The photograph showed a young boy, maybe twelve at most, in a picture like the photos on the page around it. He stared dead ahead, rendered in stark black and white. Younger, but still recognizable. The man who had taken her necklace.

"Yeah... yeah that's him."

The detective nodded, turning the book back towards himself. "Our perpertator's name is 'Mako'. As you can see we are already aware of him. He's got some loose connections to one of the criminal gangs in the area, and we know where he lives." Jin looked up. "Sorry to say this but his lot usually fence stolen property as soon as they get it. Chances are your necklace has already been pawned." Her face must have betrayed her as he kept talking. "But we can find out who he sold it to and that's at least a step in the right direction. These type all use the same pool of contacts so we'll be able to locate it easy enough."

"Thank you."

Something caught Jin's attention. "Ah. If you do see him again, steer clear and do not try to act on your own. Says here he's a fire bender and his first conviction was for destruction of police property."

Asami blinked. "I hope no one was injured," she replied, feeling worried.

The detective shook his head. "Nah. Just melted the wheels on a few patrol cars. Nothing serious." He grinned as he spoke but his face soon became serious. "But he was only twelve and given his escalation of criminal behaviour, it's worth remembering he has a potentially lethal ability. So, Miss Sato," Jin said as he snapped the book shut. "We have your contact details and we know just who we're looking for. We'll be in touch as soon as we find anything."

"Thank you," Asami said, getting to her feet. She turned to leave, paused and turned back to him. "What... what's going to happen to him? I mean, if you catch him?"

"Mako?" Jin studied her. "Revenge is frowned upon by the law so we're not going to rough him up or anything."

"No," Asami said as fast as she could. "I'm not interested in that. Just... what are you going to do?"

Jin frowned. "Well, given his prior arrests up to this point... A lot depends on how he reacts when we get a hold of him. He's dirt-poor as far as we know, so fining him is pointless. He might see a little jail time though."

"A waste..." Asami murmured.

"What was that?" he asked. Asami shook her head.

"Nothing. Just... It's a little hard to feel so angry at him if he needs the money."

Jin looked incredulous. "As you implied before; the law applies equally. He broke it by mugging you and his punishment will reflect that. I suggest you go home and try and put the day behind you. We'll be in touch as soon as we hear anything."

"Thank you," Asami said.

* * *

><p>Asami clenched her teeth as she turned her key in the kitchen door. She moved as slow as she could, the click of the lock disengaging like a crack of thunder in the pre-dawn quiet. She paused, holding the door shut, listening for any movements inside. At least entering the house this way would reduce the chance of a servant noticing and informing her father. She just needed to get to her room undetected and then she could go to bed. Nothing else mattered right now. If anyone tried disturbed her she was going to claim she felt under the weather. Her arms felt like lead and her eyelids were heavy. Any trace of adrenaline had long since drained from her system; now all she felt was frustration and exhaustion. Still no sounds from inside. Good. Asami pushed the door open, holding her breath as she eased it into place and re-locked the door. She allowed herself a smile. So far, so good. Not far to go now. Asami stepped into the kitchen.<p>

"And where have you been?"

Asami froze at the sound of her father's voice. She blinked, somehow having missed him before. He was sat at the counter-top with a sandwich and a sheaf of notes. Asami sighed.

"And good morning to you too, father."

"Don't give me that. I thought you came home hours ago."

"Dad, I'm eighteen years old. You let me go wherever I wanted since I was sixteen and didn't ask questions. And in case you hadn't noticed that has not lead to be being abducted, assaulted or pregnant."

Hiroshi nodded as she spoke. "So I did. So I did. However, that does not explain why a young lady left her house sometime after midnight with her car, and returned hours later without it."

Not now. Asami was going to snap at him if they did this now. "Dad, I need to sleep. You look like you should be in bed too - especially if you're heading in as early as you normally do. Can we do this tonight?" Or never if at all possible.

Hiroshi bristled. "And how I am supposed to sleep after you have lost your car somewhere and don't want to talk about it? Something happened, and I am worried. Yes, I let you go where you want; but that's shopping, or getting your hair done or going to the university. And you always come back with the car you left with."

Asami clutched at the top of her coat, keeping her neck hidden. As long as the police did their job, she might have the necklace back before he noticed it was even missing. Best she admit part of this evening rather than the whole truth. She sighed. "I'm sorry dad. I... I went into work earlier. I wanted to check the quality of the drive belts for the new model given how bad some of the recent ones were."

Hiroshi frowned. "I'm glad you care so much, but couldn't you have just flagged this up at the next meeting? There was no need for you to physically be down there."

"I just wanted to verify them myself. If I waited until the next meeting, it'd just be handed off to quality control and I'm beginning to think there's a problem there. I was checking over the paperwork before-."

"Don't think you've distracted me. You've made clear why you left, but not what happened to the car."

Asami eyed him. "It was stolen."

"Stolen?" Hiroshi's fist slammed into the counter-top. "Well that shouldn't be a surprise if you drive it down the docks in the middle of the night. And for no good reason I might add."

"You know, at least I'm fine. I lost the car, but I'm okay, very late, very tired but unharmed. Look." Asami held her hands out. "I can handle myself."

"But you might not have been, Asami." Hiroshi's anger seemed to ebb a little. "The docks is a popular place for pick-pockets. There are criminal gangs with benders as members. You need to take care of yourself and not run headlong into danger like that."

"Oh, so I should just stay here in safety is that it?" Asami snapped back. "Maybe only drive to the expensive parts of town and be bored all day. In case you have forgotten, thanks to your insistence on home-schooling I have almost no friends. At least none my own age."

"Now that's just not true; you know so many people your age."

"No, you know their parents and expected me to make friends with their kids. Their kids who all went to school together and are all cliquey. The second I start talking about engineering principles or pro-bending, their eyes glaze over and they start talking about the next summer ball, or the spring ball and trust funds. They're tedious."

Hiroshi sighed. "I'm sure its not that bad."

"It is that bad. I don't say anything because I don't want to cause a scene."

He sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry, Asami."

Asami shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I can put up with it."

"No." Hiroshi shook his head. "I mean, yes, thank you for not being disruptive, but I'm sorry for being so concerned. I just don't want to lose you. I don't want anything to happen to you. After your mother passed away, I swore I would keep you safe. So, if anything happens I get worried."

Asami nodded. "I understand that. And I apologize for losing the car. But you also have to accept that I'm not incapable of looking after myself."

He looked annoyed, but nodded. "We'll talk about this some other time. Did you at least report this to the police?"

Asami blinked, her fingers tightening on her collar. "Y-yes," she stuttered.

Hiroshi nodded. "Good. They can handle it from now on." He shuffled his papers together. "I think I will try and get a little sleep now. You should too."

"I will," Asami replied and followed her father as he headed upstairs. Her eyes were drooping fast once she was in her room. Turning on the lights too much of a bother and there was just enough light to navigate to the bed without colliding with anything. Asami kicked her boots off, flung her coat at a chair and flopped onto the bed, squirming a little to get comfortable. She lay there for long minutes, waiting for sleep to overtake her. So tired and now unable to sleep? She sighed and shut her eyes, waiting it out.

* * *

><p>Korra eyed the brother's home. They had passed by hundreds of similar shacks as they wound through the back-alleys and side-streets. Here they were no cars, just a chorus of coughs, shouts and moans. People looked at them as they passed, losing interest a second later. How could Bolin and Mako just stroll past all these people like this? It hurt every-time she passed someone, but it had become clear why they could just walk on by; they would need to help everyone. And that would take an astonishing amount of time. Best to have food first, return or at least begin when her stomach was not gnawing at her insides. Another item for her list of things to do in Republic City.<p>

The brother's home sat between two larger buildings, forced up against a vine-covered tree. She knew what trees were, at least in an abstract sense. The descriptions and images in the few books her teachers ever allowed her did not compare to the huge trunk that jutted out of the ground. This was the first tree she had seen in person; the first she had seen while in the city.

"Our home," Bolin said with a smile, and bowed, gesturing towards the door. "I'm afraid Naga will have to wait out here. Don't think she'll fit sorry." The polar bear dog barked and settled herself onto the ground. Korra took Bolin's invitation and pushed the door open. Something red shot towards her. There was the impression of a clawed grip for a moment and a pressure on her shoulder as something moved past her. "Pabu," Bolin exclaimed. Korra turned. A fire ferret was clambering across Bolin's shoulders. It nuzzled against his face and stared at her. "Korra meet Pabu. Pabu, this is our new friend, Korra, and her friend Naga."

Pabu made a quiet noise and jumped towards Korra. He landed on her shoulder and sniffed at her face. Korra watched out of the corner of her eye as the fire ferret began nuzzling her. "I think he likes me?"

"Looks like it," Mako said, pushing Bolin forward and closing the door behind him. Korra looked around the shack. The interior was all one room, the majority of items the brothers owned stacked in a pile in the far corner. Mats covered most of the floor, a few patches of grass and mud visible at the edges. One corner held a tiny stove, while the other had a framed photograph.

"And this is our humble abode," Bolin said as he rummaged in the pile, Pabu launching himself back onto his owner. "Okay, where are they? I know you're here somewhere," he murmured under his breath. "Ah." He pulled a green shirt and brown pants out of the pile. "For you."

Korra blinked. "Ah, um, thank you?"

"I think it would be better if you weren't going around with half burnt clothes on. So. Me and Mako are going to wait outside while you change." Bolin, grabbed Mako's arm and pushed him out the door. Korra smiled. At least some people in the city cared. She slipped her ruined top off, checking her bandages were still okay. Her new clothes were baggy, but at least they did not hamper her movements. They would do for now; until she could find something better. Korra opened the door. Both Mako and Bolin were looking away from the door. She smiled.

"I think you can come back in now," she said.

"Hey, you look great. And now you really have the element of surprise," Bolin said as he entered. He sat cross-legged on the matting.

"What do you mean?"

"You're dressed like you're from the Earth Kingdom, you look like you're from one of the water tribes and on top of all that you're a firebender. Oh." Bolin turned and rummaged in the pile again and withdrew a hat. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Korra said, staring at the hat. She scooped her ponytail into it and pulled it down onto her head. She glanced at the other two; Bolin was still beaming, while Mako seemed suspicious. "I... Me being able to fire bend doesn't seem to surprise you. I didn't expect that."

Bolin clasped his hand over his mouth. "Oh. I'm sorry. We just assumed you were from the water tribe. You know, cause of your clothing and your skin and... stuff." His eyes widened. "But we know what that's like; I mean our parents were from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation."

"Ah," Korra said, smiling. "That explains that." Her stomach gurgled.

"Food," Bolin exclaimed, and shuffled on his knees to the opposite corner and the tiny stove. "Mako, if you would be so kind?" Mako sighed and flicked his finger. The stove caught light as Bolin emptied a jug of water into a pan. "Sorry, got distracted. Still, its best not to assume anything about people from how they look. We know this one girl - right Mako? You know, Sera?" Mako grunted in confirmation. "Well, she has green eyes and she's a water bender. But what really confuses people is..." Bolin stared up at the ceiling, counting on his fingers as he spoke. "Her mother... is half water tribe and half fire nation. And a non-bender. Meanwhile. her father's from the Earth Kingdom and a pretty decent earth bender. And their kid is a water bender. Pretty crazy, huh?" He fished in a nearby box and retrieved a few silvery packets. Slicing them open, he dropped some pale blocks into the pan in front of him. "And she says her sister is a fire bender - and get this - she can lightning bend."

"That is unusual," Korra admitted. How prevalent was that kind of family history? Not so much the inter-marriages, but bending children coming from that kind of parentage. Was it a contributing factor to her own powers? Well. If Zaheer was telling the truth, the air nation had been dead for too long, but could her lineage have included all four tribes at some point? Was that then a possible sign of who the Avatar might be? Could someone, if they were patient, sit down and figure it out? Solve the riddle of ages and identify the probable Avatars before they were even born?

Her stomach rumbled as the smell of cooking noodles reached her. Korra's mouth watered and Bolin chuckled. "Okay, so here are my world famous, home-cooked noodles." He passed a cracked bowl to her along with some chopsticks. "And here's some for Mako."

"Thanks," Mako said, sounding distracted as he took the bowl.

"And I'll have what's left," Bolin said, shuffling back. He had the pan balanced on a rag in his lap. "Come on, eat up, eat up, while they're still hot," he said, watching Korra.

Her gaze flicked to Mako who started eating with a sigh. She stirred the noodles around for a moment, and, unable to wait another second, began eating. They were good. So good. She ate faster, slurping the noodles off the chopsticks as fast as she could.

"See?" Bolin said. "Great noodles." Korra nodded as she ate. "Ah this is nice. We don't often get company here, do we Mako?"

"No," he murmured, gazing at the floor.

A chill swept through her. It was clear that these two had little money, and even less food. What Bolin had just cooked; was that one meal or several? How much had she deprived them of by accepting their charity? What were the clothes she now wore intended for? "I... I'm getting full," she said, her stomach straining for more food. She held the bowl out to Bolin. "You can have the rest."

Bolin looked confused. "I... have enough here?" He tipped the pan to show her. "That's your share. Enjoy."

Korra glanced at Mako. He was scowling and mouthed 'eat' and with a slight tremble, she resumed eating. Just have this meal and then she will leave them in peace. Once she sorted things, she could bring the clothes back. And get them as many noodles as they could eat. There was the ghost of an image, of Bolin leaning over a kitchen counter, looking happy as he held out a huge bowl of noodles to a smiling customer. Would he like that? Owning his own noodle shop or something? The noodles are tasty.

Naga growled a moment before a knock on the door made them jump. Korra rechecked the interior of the shack, looking for somewhere to hide. Her new clothes feel like a woeful disguise; she was still far too recognisable. No. No this could not be the Red Lotus, not yet. Bolin looked nervous, Mako pensive but resigned. With a sigh he put his bowl down and opened the door. A group of men peered in.

"Ah, Mako. You are home. We have a... job," the first said, his gaze flicking to Korra, his eyes narrowing. "If you're interested. Usual rates, plus a bonus if things go smoothly."

Mako's hands clenched tight for a moment. "Sure," he replied.

"Hey, can I come to?" Bolin asked, getting to his feet.

Mako shook his head. "No. You stay here and look after her." He sounded annoyed. Something dragged his gaze downwards. "Wait a minute," he said to the man outside and closed the door. Stooping by the pile, Mako fished something out of his pocket and pried a section of wood away from the wall. He pushed whatever he was holding into the hollow behind and smoothed the wall back down. "Bolin; I'm leaving it behind this time. It better still be there later. I'll be home as soon as I can." The door banged shut behind him, Korra and Bolin sitting in silence as Mako's footsteps faded away.

"Sorry," Korra began after a long moment. "Sorry for eating your food, and being so suspicious of both of you, and for taking your clothes, and shouting and..."

Bolin blinked. "No, no. No need to apologize. You didn't make us do anything we didn't want to. And like Mako said, being suspicious is a good thing in the city. You just have to give people a little trust to start off with, and if they don't betray you before you know it you're friends."

"Friends..." Korra breathed. She had only ever thought she had one. Was she really gaining two more?

"You know," Bolin said, leaning back on his hands. "You're a lot like Mako and he's a lot nicer when you get to know him."

"If he'd let me."

"He will. He's... he's just distracted at the moment. Something happened recently and he's not his usual self." Bolin leaned a little closer. "Between you and me, I think he's in love."

Korra smiled. "That would explain a few things."

"Wouldn't it just?" Bolin said, laughing. "Hey, Korra?"

"Yes, Bolin?"

"Mind if I ask something?"

"Um, sure, I guess?"

Bolin's fingers twitched. "You don't have to answer anything you don't want to, and this is without any pressure, but I am curious."

Korra smiled, even though her back tensed. "It's okay. Ask away."

"Okay. So, why did you come to Republic City?"

Korra relaxed, leaning back until her back touched the shack wall. "Like I said before, I came here to find some people." Bolin looked at her, unsatisfied with the answer. "How about you and Mako?" she asked. "Did you come here, or were you born here?"

"Hmm? Oh. No, we were born here. Our parents met here though."

"Are they still here?" Her expression froze as Bolin's face fell.

"No. They-."

"You know, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to either."

"Thanks," Bolin said. "But, it's okay. I'm used to it. They passed away. Things got nasty with one of the gangs and..." Korra did not know what to say. Bolin continued. "Ever since, me and Mako have been living on the streets." His expression brightened. "Until we built this place," he said patting the wall.

"I'm sorry," Korra said, putting her hand on his knee. Bolin twitched, his face reddening as he stared at her hand.

"I-it's okay," he said, his voice a little high. "Me and Mako, we're over it now. It happened ages ago, and hey, at least we still have each other."

Korra leant back. These two brothers were so much like her; no parents. No other family. But she had still been luckier; the Red Lotus had fed, clothed and sheltered her. Bolin and Mako coped on their own. Bolin glanced at her. "So, you kinda didn't answer the question before. Just who are you-."

There was movement at the window; a new stranger peered in. "Hey Bolin," he said in a loud voice. "Has Mako gone off to give you and your lady friend some time alone? You should draw the curtains first. Unless you're into that kind of thing."

Korra met the stranger's gaze. It was far too reminiscent of the gang she fought. Bolin scowled and opened the door, shutting Korra in on her own, though the thin walls did little to dampen the sound.

"Hi, Yang," he said in a weary voice. "Mako's on another job. Not sure when he'll be back, but I can tell him you were after him."

"No to worry Bolin. Actually, today is your lucky day. We need an awesome earth bender, not a one-trick fire bender."

"Me? What do you need me for?"

"Some good friends of ours need a hand speeding up the immigration process. If you know what I mean." Yang sighed. "Too bad your brother ain't here to give you permission."

"Mako doesn't need to give me permission. I make my own decisions."

"And what have you decided about this?"

"I want to help. When do we start?"

The stranger laughed. "Excellent, excellent. You'll go far with that attitude Bolin. Listen; the job's tomorrow morning. Meet us at the statue of Lord Zuko just before dawn. You do well, and there's big money for you. I'll even give you a bit extra so you can take your new lady friend on a fancy date." His voice dropped lower, but remained audible. "You could even get a hotel for the night; just the two of you." There was a scuffle. "Hey, whoa. Have it your way. Just be there tomorrow. See ya, Bolin."

Bolin looked flushed when he sat back down again. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Korra said. "What were they asking you to do?"

Bolin sighed. "They want me to get some immigrants into the city unofficially. Not completely sure, but it might mean they want me to dig a tunnel."

Korra frowned. "Will that help?"

Bolin nodded. "It'll let them skip all the normal paperwork and waiting around to do things the official way. And it's very possible that these people wouldn't be able to get in like that. I mean, the other fast way is to bribe the officials. That's kinda illegal." Bolin glanced at the floor. "Actually so's what they want me to do. But if they don't have enough money they get kept waiting for ages in this camp outside the city. And you keep hearing these horror stories about how bad the food is, how sick all the people waiting are. So, I want to help. They deserve a shot just like everyone else."

"I... I want to help too."

Bolin shook his head. "It'll be dangerous."

Korra sighed. "Not this again. You saw me fire bend, right? I can take care of myself. And..." She grinned. "I had to defend myself against two people I think were officials this morning. They didn't like me not doing things the official way either. So I had to show them I could take care of myself." She punched her fist out in front of her.

"That's awesome." Bolin's expression became concerned. "Also, a little scary. Hope you didn't cook them too badly."

Her stomach lurched. While the essence of her story was true, it omitted her use of water bending to defeat the pair. As far as those two knew she was a water bender. As far as Bolin knew she was a fire bender. And to anyone who saw her on the street? They would think she was an Earth bender now. No one should suspect or even consider that she was the Avatar. Once she found the monk and Asami, maybe then she could reveal herself. Had Asami guessed all those years ago? Korra had not been subtle about her manipulation of more than one element. So why had the invading forces determined to destroy her never materialized? Because of moving the base? Or had Asami never told anyone? Or did they not exist in the first place? Too many questions, all hinging on finding one person for the answer. She bit her lip. Could she trust Bolin to stay quiet if she admitted what she was? Wait. What if there was a reward for news or delivering the Avatar? The brothers had nothing, and she had not known them long enough to know if they would turn her over for an escape from this life. It would be best to maintain the pretense of being a fire bender. For now. Best not to involve others in events - if Zaheer's words were true.

"Bolin, let me do this, to say thank you for everything."

"Doesn't feel like a good idea to me," he said, frowning. "I mean, you're new in town, and even newer to how things work around here-."

"Bolin," she cut him off. "I am coming with you at dawn, whether you like it or not. And don't think you can get past Naga without waking her up."

Bolin's eyes flicked to the door and he gulped. "Okay," he said, his voice resigned. "Suppose it can't hurt to have another fire bender on hand in case anything goes wrong."

"Thank you."

Bolin stretched. "Well. If we're getting up at dawn, we should probably think about sleep now." He padded across to the pile and pulled a small, and grubby sheet out. "You can have the sheet and the bedroom."

"Bedroom?" Korra blinked.

"That mat," Bolin pointed at the mat nearest the stove.

"Thank you. Wait," she said as Bolin settled against the tree trunk. "Is this the only blanket?"

"Um, yeah."

Korra held it out to him. "Then you should take it. I'll sleep outside with Naga."

"No, no," Bolin protested, holding up his hands. "Republic City and Earth Kingdom custom is to treat your guests well. So tonight you get the blanket. I'll stay over here and you can feel free to punch me if I get any closer."

Korra frowned. "Are you likely to?"

Bolin blinked. "Er... no?"

"Good. I don't really want to punch you."

"I don't want you to either. It's just, well, when men and women share the... I mean, if they sleep in the same room over a certain age... No, um, I just thought...?" His gaze flicked from her to the ground in quick succession. Pabu padded along his leg and nestled into his shirt. "Are you hinting I should give up now?" he asked the fire ferret who squeaked in response. "Good plan." Korra smiled and lay down, pulling the blanket over as much of her as she could. She did not feel tired, but as she closed her eyes, exhaustion settled over her.

"Korra?"

"Yes, Bolin?"

"It's nice to meet you, Korra. Goodnight." His breathing deepened to a snore a moment later. Korra smiled.

"Nice to meet you too."

* * *

><p>Bolin blinked awake and shivered. It was freezing inside the shack. He delved into his jacket, withdrawing the cracked and battered watch. Prying the cover open, he tilted it until he found a usable light source. At least it had kept good time ever since he stole it; his first successful pickpocket. Time to get moving. Bolin slipped the watch back into his inside pocket and rested a moment longer, enjoying Pabu's warmth. No, he had to get moving; if he delayed much longer he was going to miss the meet-up. He winced a little as he sat, up his joints stiff and cracking as he moved. Korra was still dozing nearby; at least she had not tried to flee during the night. He shuffled over to her.<p>

"Korra," he whispered. She did not stir. "Korra," he said in a normal voice, the sound almost thunderous in the quiet. Still nothing. He was going to have to shake her. Bolin took a deep breath. Shoulder. Her shoulder was a safe spot to make contact with. His fingers trembled as he reached out, Korra's hand catching his moments from him making contact.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, her eyes darting around. She was wide awake, all her muscles tense.

Bolin gulped. "Just trying to get you up. I tried calling your name, but..."

Korra sighed and sat up. "Well, I'm awake. Is it time to go?"

Bolin nodded, leading the way out of the shack. He paused beside Naga. "Are we taking her with us, or...?"

Korra studied the polar bear dog for a moment. "Naga should come with us," she said. "I mean, I don't really want to leave her here alone. And she might be useful." Bolin nodded, leading the way with Naga and Korra trailing after him.

Bolin's nerves settled as they walked in silence and excitement started flooding through him. They would be unstoppable on this job. Korra was an excellent fire bender and his control of the earth was pretty good too. Maybe they could team up again in the future; become the 'Daring Duo' or something like that. They would make a great team; the handsome, rugged Bolin and the beautiful, strong Korra. There would be adventures, saving the innocent, doing mighty deeds. Together they could travel the world and see all those other places he had only ever heard of on the radio. And maybe, just maybe meet some of the former Avatar's surviving companions? Like Lord Zuko, or maybe Katara if they ever went that far South. Or - oh it would mean so much - Toph Bei Fong; the unsurpassed earth and metal bender who still knew no equal.

Bolin glanced at his companion. In the radio serials, in these kinds of stories, the lead always wound up getting together with his companion. And Korra was so beautiful. If they did adventure together, was there the possibility of something between them? Ah, but then there would always be the messy relationship stuff where the leading lady would look like she had eyes for someone else. And the leading man would mis-interpret things and there would be falling outs and people not talking to each other. Those were the most frustrating parts. And always a little confusing. If only they talked to each other and not assume things; something so many characters never seemed to understand. Bolin made a mental note to be as honest and open as possible with Korra.

He had been staring at Lord Zuko's statue for a few minutes now without realizing. They were almost there. With a twinge, fear coiled inside him. He glanced to the side again, Korra seeming unaware of Zuko's significance, or at least not recognizing the statue. She looked all around her, curious about everything. Why had he let her come along? Every other time he had a job like this, not only had it been with Mako, but he also knew - more or less - what he was getting into. Korra had been in the city less than, what, two days? She had no idea of the risks entailed or the situation. How could he have put her in danger like this? Okay. There was still time to back out, still time to just turn around and head back home, say no more about it. Hey, sorry Yang, guess I overslept and all. I'll help you next-

Bolin noticed Yang and Li leaning against the base of the statue. Too late now. He swallowed. Okay. He could do this. Not just going to be Mako's little brother his whole life. And it would all be fine. Get the mission done without getting caught and without anything happening to Korra.

Yang smiled as he, Korra and Naga approached. "Bolin; glad you could make it."

"Yang. Hi Li," he replied. Korra had drawn Yang's attention.

"Bolin; while I understand the impulse - if you have a gorgeous girlfriend then, of course, you want to boast about it to your friends - you do understand this is not a dance? This is not a date. Send your woman home." His eyes narrowed.

"'Girlfriend'?" Korra echoed. Bolin's heart sank. No. Early days. They had only just met, and love at first sight only happened on the radio. Or in plays. Or books, or-

"No, no, no," Bolin said, waving his hands. "We're not like that." His face was burning again. "Korra's just a friend. Who is, ah-." Bolin glanced at her, his gaze running across her body. Stop, stop, stop. He kept going, his gaze reaching her chest and he shook himself, wincing. Concentrate on Yang. "A friend," he yelped. "A friend who happens to be a girl." The quiet afterward spooked him. "A girl... friend. See? It's different." He took a deep breath, trying to assume a sterner expression. "She wants to help out." He caught the glare and spoke before Korra could interrupt. "You did say you wanted to help, didn't you, Korra?"

Korra paused, her mouth snapping shut and she turned to Yang. "I convinced Bolin to bring me along."

Yang eyed her. "And just what can you do? You look like a water bender. I don't really need one of them. Not with the plan. Maybe if we ran into the guards, but I don't want that, and none of you lot seem capable of keeping up with them."

"Just as well I'm not a water bender then," Korra replied bringing her hands close together and filling the space with fire. "I think I can be useful in other ways." She looked amused as Yang gawped at her and the flaming sphere she held. The light made her skin glow, and Bolin needed to stop staring at her right now. Her skin was glowing in the flickering light.

"The fire... It's... beautiful," Bolin breathed. He wrenched his gaze from the flames to smirk at Yang and Li.

"That, is, hot," Li commented, still staring. "Yang, we gotta take her with us. With her help we can get through the fence in no time." He leaned to one side, looking past her. "The polar bear dog come with you?" Korra nodded. "Cool, cool. We can use it too."

Korra winced, but both Li and Yang had already turned away, waving the other two forward. Just outside the park a covered truck sat waiting. Lin and Yang clambered into the front, sending Bolin and Korra around to the rear. Korra paused at the open back, staring at the vehicle.

"Korra?" Bolin asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes..." she said, staring at the truck. She smiled, something about it amusing her. Odd. She hopped up into the back, Naga scrambling after her, followed by Bolin. Korra stayed quiet as they drove through the almost silent city streets, the quiet getting to Bolin. He tried to think of something to say to her, but his thoughts were a mess. It did not seem to matter; Korra was content to stare out the back of the truck and all too soon they reached their destination; the docks.

"Rest of the way's by boat," Li commented. "Come on," he added as Korra looked around this new location in fascination. "We gotta get this over with before dawn." She nodded, still distracted and shuffled onto the boat with the others. Nerves seem to instill silence on the boat as it wound it's way up the river. The banks drew closer together as they sailed, the trees growing taller and denser, cutting out more and more of the starlight. Bolin could not see any markers or landmarks, but Yang directed the boat towards what seemed like a regular stopping point. Away from the city the silence seemed louder. Even breathing sounded like the distant rumble of thunder as they set off. The forest was alive around them. Several entities moved in the undergrowth, emitting strange chirps and calls. Dry leaves and twigs crunched beneath their boots. Bolin winced at every noise, certain each time that someone was swooping down to arrest them. And if they did, he would have failed in every conceivable way. But no one came, the moment persisting and Bolin relaxed a little, though still waited for disaster.

Yang slipped his watch out of his pocket and checked the time. The trees began thinning out and ahead Bolin caught sight of the fence. It was almost two stories high and formed from thick, woven strands of metal. Heaped piles of rocks lay stacked against the perimeter. From the angle of the ground below the fence, the pile would collapse and the noise would be audible in the still air. A group of people sat on the ground beyond the barrier. They soon noticed Li and Yang's arrival and grabbed at their belongings. Yang waved Bolin and Korra to a halt just inside the treeline.

"Okay. In ten minutes time the guards'll changeover. We gotta get this done now, and be gone before they notice anything." He turned to Bolin. "Bolin; see the rock pile?" He nodded. "Okay, I want you to get two of those big rocks over here. Big enough that two people can stand on them. Korra? Bolin is going to lift you and Li over the fence. Once you're on the other side, I want you to use your fire to cut a big hole in the fence - say, two metres across. Then," he said, slapping Bolin on the back again. "It's all up to Bolin. You're going to wait until one of our customers is on a big rock and then move them back through the hole."

Korra frowned. "Why can't he just lift them back over the fence like he will with us?" she asked.

"Too risky."

"But-."

"Sending the two of you over the top is already risking that someone's gonna notice. We take people through the fence, then they won't be up in the air for a long time, so less chance of anyone noticing what we're up to. Make sense?" Yang said with a touch of annoyance.

"It does," Korra admitted. It looked like she wanted to add something, but Yang spoke before she could add anything.

"Okay; Bolin: you're up."

Bolin concentrated. Dislodging two rocks from the pile even at this distance was not hard. What was trickier was doing so without disturbing any of the others. Korra was tense beside him; it almost looked like she wanted to help. Back-seat bending, he thought to himself with a wry smile. Once the rocks floated free from the pile, it was easy to whisk them to their hiding spot. Korra and Li each clambered aboard their own rock and Bolin sent them sailing over the fence. He let the rocks down to the ground as slow as he could. Through the fence he could see the refugees clustering around Li and Korra, all nervous energy and the need to get moving. Li seemed to be explaining something to them in a low tone and gestured to the fence. He and Korra cut the hole in no time, their flame daggers slicing through the metal with ease. Bolin felt a new wave of anxiety; the light from the fire seemed far too bright and far too obvious. At least there were still no alarms, no shouts or panic. So far, so good.

First refugee. They clung to the rock, not understanding Li's instructions or Korra's assertions. Their eyes widened as the rock lifted from the ground, wobbling a little under the uneven mass of person and baggage. Bolin had to get the refugee more or less through the centre of the hole so they did not end up catching themselves on the loose wires of the fence. The first woman was no problem after a shaky start. The second and third were also fine. The fourth refugee, a man, floundered on the rock, changing the dimensions of the mass as he floated. The rock tipped, despite Bolin's straining efforts, the man coming far too close to the edge of the hole. Bolin paused the rock in mid-air, resuming the movement as slow as he dared, the effort making sweat bead across his forehead.

It felt like it took forever, but Yang did not hurry him. He kept glancing between his watch and along the line of the fence as he tied the refugee's bags to Naga's back. How much time could Bolin have left? Far too little. But it was over before he knew it. It was such a relief to get the last refugee through; he trusted both Li and Korra to cling to the rock without him needing to be too careful. They sped through the air and Bolin let himself relax.

"All right," he whispered in a hoarse voice, high-fiving one of the refugees who grinned back at him.

Yang cleared his throat. "Okay, listen up all of you. This isn't a charity. We need payment - first for getting you on this side of the fence. Then you need to pay the fee for river transport and over-ground transit. So; you know what you agreed to when coming here and now's the time to pay up." He unfurled a large sack as he spoke and held it open.

Bolin glanced around, wondering if the sky was lighter over there. "Can we not do this later? Like when we're not right next to the scene of our crime?"

Yang glanced at him, as Li held his hand out to each refugee in turn and tossed the money into the sack. "What? What if they decide to jump in the river and swim the rest of the way? No, not taking that risk. They pay now or they don't get out of this forest. In fact, if they don't pay, you are going to dump back on the other side of that hole and let them worry about getting back through."

"This has all been about money?" Korra said in a slow voice, frowning. She was looking less and less happy as Li added handful after handful of money into the sack. Bolin felt a pang of guilt. The refugees looked poor, dirty, disheveled and hungry. How much were they giving away here? How much would they have by the time they reached the built-up areas of Republic City. And what then? Destined to flee here only to wind up as beggars on the street until the police rounded them up and deported them?

"What? You're not doing this for money?" Yang was grinning at Korra. "Listen, we're taking a serious risk doing this. If we get caught, well, we're looking at a long jail-time. We gotta get something for sticking our necks out like this. You want to do this out of charity, fine. We'll divvy your cut up amongst the rest of us."

Korra opened her mouth to respond, but Li interrupted. "Do that later. We can't have too long left."

Yang pulled out his watch and swore under his breath. "Okay. All of you, this way." He slipped back through the forest, the refugees following behind him.

"Korra," Bolin began as she strode past him.

"Not now," she muttered, not even looking at him. Bolin sighed and trailed after her. So much for his day-dreams now.

There was a muffled curse from up ahead, accompanied by wails of despair. Three water benders stared at the group, their badgerhounds close by. A movement caught Bolin's eye beyond them; the boat was beginning to drift back down the river.

"Surprise, smugglers," the leader said with a smirk.

Li and Yang held a whispered conference as Korra strode forward. "I can take care of these guys for you," Korra said, cracking her knuckles.

"Not on your own," Bolin added, standing beside her. She glanced at him, but said nothing.

"Yang, you get the boat," Li said, not taking his eyes from the water benders, still holding the sack in one hand. Yang darted down the bank, all three benders moving to intercept, water whipping from the river in a blur of motion. The attacks slammed into a wall of rock. Bolin let out a sigh of relief as he caught sight of Yang further down the bank, still running. Before the water benders could move, Korra and Li started punching fireballs towards them. The badgerhounds surged forward. Korra whistled as she threw another gout of flame. Naga lumbered past the group with a bark, smacking one of the badgerhounds to the side. It fell limp to the ground, it's companion settling over it, snarling at Naga.

Water and fire filled the air. Bolin pulled up columns of earth, while Korra kept herself between them and the refugees. Yang yelled he had the boat from further down the bank.

"Okay, let's get moving," Li called. The three of them forced the water benders closer to the bank. It should have given them ammunition, but Bolin was pulling earth up from the depths of the river as fast as he could, pushing the water back. Korra continued to hurl fireballs. With a surge, she caught one guard with a blast of heated air, sending him sailing up into the treeline. His uniform was soon entangled in the branches, his arms pinned. One down. Two to go. Korra, Bolin and Li retreated along the bank, letting the water benders push them back - away from the fence and towards the boat. The migrants did not need any more prompting, hurrying down the bank and into the boat as fast as they could. Li glanced back as Yang yelled they needed to leave soon.

"Hold them off for a bit longer," he said to the other two as he turned and sprinted away. This was it; the adventuring duo, working in tandem like this, keeping two powerful water benders at bay. This was going to make such a good story. Bolin glanced back. The boat was pushing away from the bank as Li leapt onto it.

"Hey," Bolin called. "You can't just leave us here like this."

"No honour among thieves," one of the guards said with a wicked grin. The water benders' charge became more energetic, the river water still too abundant. Korra did not even seem fazed; her super-heated flames cut through the guard's water whips with ease. Korra moved like lightning. Now was not the time to get distracted. Wait. One of the guards was putting a lot less effort into his attacks; he was pooling a huge surge of water around his feet.

"Korra, look out," Bolin yelled, putting everything he had into pulling up a new barrier. The water tore through it as if it were paper and slammed into his face. It was like the hardest punch he had ever endured, the one that had left him sobbing and unable to breath. Mako had been there to comfort him and help him get through it back then. But this was worse. Unlike the punch, the blow was a persistent force that never seemed to end. The force of it knocked him backwards. Breath. Need to breath. Water. Too much water. Need to find air. Bolin inhaled on automatic, only able to suck in an uncomfortable mixture of water and air. Hacking coughs wracked him and he gasped on reflex, frightened the next breath would be nothing but water. There was a movement beneath his shirt, something shifting. Bolin's hands settled onto his torso, nervous. He felt a panicked heart-beat and a squirming presence. Pabu was still okay. A spot of blood landed beside the fire ferret. Blood? Bolin's hand touched his face. Pain blossomed on contact and he jerked his hand away, noticing more blood on his fingers.

"Bolin." Korra was calling his name, and warmth radiated through his chest. He needed to apologise. Needed to say he was sorry he could not protect her. There was a guard unconscious on the floor some distance away. Their final opponent used the moment of distraction to funnel water from the river into a huge ice-block. Korra's fire could not do anything against that. Bolin tried to shout, the movement irritating his lungs and he coughed, trying to keep his eyes open as his chest burned.

Korra pivoted, the motion so graceful, so refined. So impossible. For a moment it seemed like the ice was going to hit her, but in the next she was somehow beneath it, the block whistling over her head. It was far too close and the block tore her hat away, her pony-tail spilling out. But there was something about it, every part of her movement like a dance. Korra did not even seem to notice and flicked more flames at the guard; this time aiming for his feet. The guard panicked as the fire took hold and flung himself into the water. Korra pursued, a fireball forming in each hand as Bolin caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.

"Korra," he spluttered. "Korra," he raised his voice. "There's more coming." She ignored him. "Korra, please. Let's just get out of here." She took another step forward and halted with a sigh. Her hands fell to her sides, the flames extinguishing.

"Yeah," she murmured. "Let's go." She darted back to Bolin, whistling as she ran. Korra heaved Bolin to his feet as Naga crashed to a halt beside them. "You okay to stand?" she asked. Bolin felt a little dizzy, but nodded, trying not to sway too much. Korra launched herself up onto Naga and held a hand out to Bolin. "Come on." She was so strong. Her grip was firmer than her handshake and she pulled him upward without so much as a grunt. He soon found himself sat astride Naga, and behind Korra. "Hang on to me." Part of him was nervous, but he was still having trouble breathing and holding her shoulders will give him no support at all. Swallow hard, Bolin leant into her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Korra did not even react. "Okay, Naga-."

"Wait," a voice called. The guard on the ground stared at Korra, her eyes wide. "You... you were the water tribe girl on the beach yesterday. But-."

Korra cut her off, a flinch running through her body. "I don't know what you're talking about. You must be mistaking me for someone else."

"But," the guard protested. "I saw you. It was you and-."

"Shut up," Korra growled. "If you keep talking, you'll regret it." She flicked the reins, ignoring a fresh protest from the guard as Naga raced away.

How could anyone get Korra confused with someone else, Bolin wondered as Naga surged forward. But did the guard recognise her? Korra mentioned something about a fight the previous day. Had the guard been there. If so, what had the guard been trying to ask?

"Where should we go?"

Korra's voice confused him for a moment. Bolin blinked. "Oh. Er, maybe we should hide in the forest for now?" He glanced around, spotting a hill not too distant. "Think Naga could climb that?"

Korra looked in the direction he pointed. "Naga can do anything. Hold on." She flicked the reins, turning Naga moving away from the river and through the trees. She glanced back. "Are you okay?" She frowned. "You're bleeding."

Bolin wanted to laugh. "It's nothing. Really, nothing," he added in response to her narrowed gaze. "I'm fine." Korra made a non-committal noise and flicked the reins again.

* * *

><p>By the time Asami got to sleep, her sleeping pattern was so out of sync she slept through the entire day. When woke feeling tense and a little frazzled just in time to see the sun set. Her mouth was dry, her throat scratchy, her eyes bleary. She sat up, all her joints stiff and realized she was still wearing all her clothes, her hair a tangled mass on her head. She had not even bothered to remove her makeup before she went to bed. Urgh. Best not to think the kind of state she was in. At least no one had disturbed her rest. The rest of the evening was not so fun while she crammed as many things as she could do while eating a hasty meal alone. Concentration soon eluded her and she gave up, heading back to bed early. The next morning was not an improvement. Getting out of bed was a titanic effort, and even then she could not face the thought of leaving the house. She decided to use the time to sort out some of the things she skipped the day before. That at least took her mind off things. A bath sounded the best way to round off the day to a net positive.<p>

Ensconced in the bathroom, Asami set the bath off, pouring some rejuvenating oils into the running water. The heat felt glorious as she sank into the water; tensions, stiffness and aches melting away. The oils scented the air and she was in heaven. She ducked her head under water for a moment and lay back, enjoying the heat. She wondered how long she could post-pone seeking out food and just lying here. A knock on the door ruined the moment.

"Ma'am?"

Asami sighed. "Yes?"

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am, but you have a phone call."

It was hard to care right now. "Whoever it is, tell them to call back. Or take a message and I'll call them back. Later," she added.

"It's the police ma'am. They wish to speak with you. They have apprehended a suspect in relation to the crime you reported."

Asami splashed water across the whole room in her haste to get out of the bath. Still dripping wet she wrapped a robe around herself and rushed to the phone, leaving damp footprints in her wake.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Miss Sato." Detective Jin. "As I told your servant, we have apprehended Mako and he is currently in custody. All we need from you is to come down and ID him."

"Now?" Asami asked, glancing at the clock. At least it was not Midnight yet, but she doubted her father would be too happy with her going out so late again.

"No, no. No hurry. Come by tomorrow sometime. He's not going anywhere."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure, Miss Sato. See you tomorrow."

Asami hung up the receiver and trailed back to the bathroom. The moment was gone though, the bath doing nothing to remove her tension. Tomorrow she would see him again, come face to face with 'Mako'. If this moment had come two days ago, then maybe she would be looking forward to the visit. It would have been a chance to rake her nails across his face, or strike him, or do... something to him. But the thought left a hollow feeling in her stomach and she no longer had a taste for it. She wanted more to talk to him, understand him, make him understand. What could she say? What could he say? Well, if nothing else, she wanted an apology for the theft and for Mako to feel sorry for his actions. If possible she wanted to know who he had sold her necklace to. At least then there might be a chance to reclaim it.

With a sigh she hauled herself back out of the bath and headed to bed as soon as possible. She fidgeted the next morning, waiting as her father seemed to take an interminable amount of time to go to work. At least his current need to work weekends helped make her later departure less obvious. There were a hundred reasons for Asami to go out today, but she did not want to provoke more curiosity from her father than necessary.

The drive to the police station was uneventful. A certain paranoia had her locking and relocking the car twice to ensure the car would still be there later on. A different sergeant was on duty today. He looked nervous as she walked in and rounded the desk at speed.

"Miss Sato," he said smiling. "Right this way." Asami caught some annoyed glances from the almost full waiting area, but was away before she could say anything. Jin greeted her as the sergeant retreated to his desk.

"I must apologize again for interrupting you so late at night," he said as they walked down to the holding cells.

"No, no it's fine. Thank you for getting in touch. I'm impressed you found him so quickly."

Jin scratched his head. "Well, in all honesty we found him completely incidentally. We were conducting a raid on an underground bending arena last night. Just so happened that ol' Mako was one of the participants. Probably a good thing we got to him when we did; some earth bender did a real number on him. Guy could barely stand up when we arrived."

Asami felt her lips twitch, wondering who the earth bender had been. Wait. "Bending arena?" she asked. "Is that like Pro-Bending?" Despite repeated requests, her father had yet to sponsor one of the teams. At least she could afford to go and see every game she wanted.

"Ah, not quite. Similar in some ways..." Jin frowned. "Ah, what am I talking about? Nothing like it, Miss Sato. See, in Pro-Bending the idea is-."

"I am well aware of how Pro-Bending is conducted," Asami interjected, frowning.

"Sorry, yes, of course-." He looked embarrassed. "Well, difference with these places is they're all one on one battles and far fewer rules. Plus no safety measures and a lot of gambling."

"I thought people already gambled on the Pro-Bending events?" Asami asked.

"They do. But the ones who do their gambling there... Well, let's just say you don't want to run into them if you can help it." Asami nodded, trying to imagine the dank pit the police found Mako in. Was it filled with baying crowds who surrounded him and urged him to attack another bender? Asami shuddered. The detective nodded to a uniformed guard ahead. "Well, Miss Sato, I gotta leave you here with my colleague, Shu. She'll sort out the ID process, and once you confirm we got the right guy we'll take it from there. Of course, even if he's not your mugger, we've still got him on other charges, so don't worry if you're not comfortable or confident." Asami bristled at the implication, but Jin seemed to miss it and carried on. "And if you are able, please stop by my desk on the way out."

He waved and walked back the way he came. "This way," Shu said. She ushered Asami into a small room with a desk in the centre and a chair either side of it. "If you'll just take a seat, I'll get him brought up." She vanished through another door, and Asami perched on the edge of the chair, glancing around the room. It was bare, cold and uncomfortable. She did not want to be here anymore. What did she hope to get out of this? She could just walk away now, try not to think about it anymore. The door swung open before she could move, making her jump. Two other guards entered supporting a third man, Shu just behind them. The man had his head bowed, his shirt stained with blood.

"Hey, come on," one guard said to their prisoner. "You gotta face up Miss Sato." The figure tensed and glanced up, shivering. He looked fearful for a moment, his eyes widening and he ducked his head again. Asami's head was reeling; he was almost the same age as her. Mako had a black eye and a swollen lip; his face was a patchwork of bruises and bloodstains "Hey, hey, don't hide away, Mako." The guard looked at Asami. "This your attacker?"

"Yes," Asami said, still staring at the man's injuries. Their gazes meet for a second as he looked up again and Mako jerked in the guard's grip, staring down at the floor.

"Hear that, Mako? It's your lucky day. We get to add theft to your rap sheet. And a whole extra month on your sentence."

"No," Mako moaned.

"It's not so bad," the second guard said, as they maneuvered Mako around to retrace their steps. "Good behaviour'll get you parole in two months or so."

"No," Mako repeated. "My b-brother. I have to look after him. He can't survive without me."

"Well, should have thought of that before. Loads of ways for you young-folk to get by in the world without doing any of the stuff you're in here for."

Asami swallowed as Mako tried to move. Was this worth it? Was her mother's necklace worth the damage inflicted on Mako's face, on going to jail for months on end? And what of the brother?

"No. Hey, miss." Mako's eyes gazed at her. "Your necklace. I didn't sell it. I can give it back."

"Sounds like a confession as well," Shu said. "You are not making this easy for yourself, Mako. Get him back to the cells."

"Wait." Asami bit her lip wondering how to proceed. "Can I... can I speak to him before you take him back?" The guards exchanged confused glances. "Alone?"

Shu cleared her throat. "That's against our rules, Miss Sato. And I wouldn't put any stock in his claims." She turned to Mako. "Far better if you tell us just who you sold it to. And stop trying to take appeal to Miss Sato's compassion. Unless..." Shu turned to look at Asami. "If you're thinking of a getting in a few more punches, well... No one'll notice with all the other bruising. But that is so very frowned upon in a police station."

Mako opened his mouth, but Asami spoke first. "No. I just want to talk to him. I know what I'm doing. It's a... personal matter." They stared at her. Asami sighed, delving into her purse. "Here," she said, pushing a few folded bank notes into each of the guards' hands. "Give me five minutes alone with him and I'll give you more after."

The guards scrutinized the money. "It's still dangerous," Shu said after a moment.

"If it bothers you that much, then tie him to the chair. If anything happens I'll... I'll." She fumbled with her purse again. "I have a whistle. If I need you, I'll blow it."

There was still some reticence in their movements, but the trio agreed. They pushed Mako into the chair without grace, his hands tied behind his back. He kept his head bowed as the guards trailed out of the door. "Five minutes, Miss Sato. Then I'm in regardless of what you're doing." There was an uncomfortable insinuation to Shu's words, but Asami ignored it as the door shut. Okay. Now she had paid money to face her accuser. And just what was she going to do next? Her nerves were on edge as she sat opposite Mako, leaning her elbows on the table.

"Hello Mako." He did not react. Asami fidgeted. "Okay, I suppose I should introduce myself; my name is Asami Sato."

"I know who you are," Mako muttered.

Asami swallowed back her nerves. "So, now we know who we both are, I would like to know if you are prepared to talk to me."

Mako sniffed. "You paid already. You can do what you like."

"Okay. I... I want to try and get across what you did to me the other day. The necklace... the one you claim you still have. It's very precious to me."

"It was your mother's wasn't it?" Mako kept staring down.

"You opened it?" Asami asked, her voice rising. Mako nodded. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she clasped her hands together. "Then do you understand why I was so upset? If you'd just taken the bag I would have just let the situation lie and not reported it."

Mako seemed to say something, but it was too quiet. He looked up. "I'm sorry."

"Easy to say. Why did you do it?"

Mako licked his lips. "The necklace was a stupid idea. Like Bo-." He grimaced. "The bag was more than enough. I just got greedy."

"But why are you mugging people in the first place? Can't you find a more productive use of your skills? From what the police told me, I understand you're a bender? Can't you at least get factory work or something?" Mako ducked his head again. "I can't see how this can help your brother if you need to steal to survive. Think of the example you're setting."

"It's complicated." He paused and added, "Miss Sato."

"That just sounds like an excuse."

Mako's tone changed. "You don't get it at all do you? Me and my brother; we've been orphaned for years, and there was nobody willing to look after us. We had to survive on our own, doing whatever we could to survive. Sure we can both bend, but no company wants to hire kids. The gangs aren't so picky; some of them can use kids with those talents. And not for anything good. But it was a choice; work for the gangs or starve in the gutter. At least our gang gave us protection from my parent's killers." Mako nodded behind Asami. "The police lost interest real quick. And I can't just walk away from it now. Not while my brother still needs me."

Asami frowned. "But the police-."

"Don't care about us," Mako finished her sentence. "Look. Did you somehow not notice that they were willing to just drag me off until you bribed them? Cops can be bought. If you have enough money then you're not going to wind up in jail. Not having any money is the easiest way to get yourself locked up."

Now Asami ducked from Mako's gaze, staring down at the scored and damaged table-top. She was running out of time. "Were you telling the truth though? Do you still have my mother's necklace?" She looked up, hopeful.

Mako stared back, his expression softening a little. "Not on me. But it is at my home." To her surprise he smiled. "I would give you the address, but its not like any of the houses have numbers or the street even has a name."

Asami frowned. "Wait; you live in the shanty-town?"

"Told you, no money, we do what we have to. So, it won't be easy to get it back to you until I get out of here." His expression turned more serious. "And I promise you I will get it back to you once I'm free again." Asami met his gaze again, staring back into his eyes. Dark, puffy flesh surrounded one eye, but both amber irises looked sad. Mako fidgeted. "Listen, I know I sound like I'm just trying to avoid going to jail, but I swear I can give you your necklace back."

Asami sighed. She pushed her chair back and without looking back walked to the door. Mako muttered something behind her as she rapped against the metal door with her knuckles.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to all reviewers: alehficsmore, Dreamer, Skittymon, Kradeiz, C-mea, WiseGirl9859, Fishing4Karma, Kailyr, Jeku, kingdomheartsgirl7777, Anne, Dawnonfire, Amme92 and all the Guests!<strong>

**We love the reviews and the really long ones actually motivate us to flesh the universe more! Due to the length of this chapter we'd be responding to specific questions. **

**Is there going to be a team Avatar?**

All I can say is that Korra's going to meet characters that are important to her in the series.

**How about Mako?**

If a fifth character slot is allowed, I would have listed Mako. We have great plans for him.

**Can Korra lavabend?**

We'll see more of her abilities later on.

**Is Unalaq a member of the Red Lotus?**

I have to check the membership forms again. A lot of members aren't paying the monthly fee.

**Will Korra go through something like the Book 3 finale?**

Things will happen differently! But I must say/warn this fanfic is going to be significantly more violent than the series.

**About the Sato Shelters...**

They will be mentioned again in a future chapter, with more explanation. And they're not the only shelters in RC that poor people can use- and just because shelters exist it doesn't mean it can solve urban poverty.

***Reviewer's thoughts about the Legend of Korra series* **

I can't speak out my opinions/criticisms/what I love about the series since they might lead you expecting certain things to happen. I don't want my opinions to affect your reading.

**Update?**

We aim a weekly update! Book 1 is almost finished in content, but the story is already planned/outlined for 60 chapters.


	6. Memento

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 6: Memento**

* * *

><p><em>The sooner they found the Avatar the better. Ghazan breathed on his hands as the temperature continued to fall. What was taking Zaheer so long? This should be a quick, easy routine by now. In contrast to his own discomfort, the cold did not seem to faze the group of children. If the Avatar was in this group... Ghazan scowled. Well, that meant moving to another sub-zero region to begin the next phase. Nothing else for it though; if they were to change the world, this was how they would do it.<em>

_Zaheer entered the clearing with a sack slung across his back. At last. He beckoned the children closer, some hanging back, others curious about what was going on. He kept his voice soft as he addressed the group._

_"I would like each of you to select a toy from this sack." The statement was stark and confused the children. Ghazan turned away as his lip curled. How often had he heard Zaheer say that now? And how often had the result been the same? No Avatar. Would this even work? Zaheer claimed it was the same method the Air Nomads used to confirm that Aang had been the previous Avatar. It sounded good; but the airbenders had used preserved items from the time of the previous air nation Avatar. Would the concept function on similar items like this? Was the Avatar even still alive? For all they knew the child could have already died and they were wasting their time even being here._

_Ghazan turned back as a girl rummaged in the sack, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth. Zaheer remained impassive or at least that was how most would see it. Ghazan could see his nerves on edge as each child delved in amongst the items. Zaheer's back stiffened when the girl lifted an orange kite from the sack. She did not ask if she could choose other items as well and instead she rifled through the collection again. The girl retrieved a toy volcano followed by a green fan. Zaheer smiled. When he spoke there was a tremor in his voice Ghazan had not heard before. She was the one. The Avatar was now staring at the three objects she had chosen, some part of her confused about why she wanted those specific items._

_Zaheer kept up the pretense of allowing all the children to select something from the sack. He beckoned P'Li over after the girl and whispered something in her ear. Ghazan maintained his role as look-out; there were not even distant tremors of pursuers yet. P'Li and Ming began talking to the children near the fire and those still waiting their turn with the toys. Subterfuge and obfuscation. It would not do for those that would come looking to know they had been seeking the Avatar. Ming asked the Avatar her name when the process was complete, steering her away from the others as they talked. Her name was Korra. Now they could get moving._

_"Where are we going?" Korra asked as the Red Lotus left the other children behind._

_"The North Pole," Zaheer answered._

_Korra fidgeted, glancing around as they walked through the trees. Ming turned every few steps to eradicate any trace of their passage. "I... I want to go home now." She stopped walking, her gaze fixed on the snow. "I want my mommy and daddy."_

_The Red Lotus shared a look; this was the trickiest part of the plan. Zaheer knelt beside Korra. "You will be home soon."_

_"I will?" Korra asked, her face brightening._

_"Yes. But it is not the same home." Korra's face fell again. "Korra, I am so sorry, but your parents are gone."_

_Korra swayed a little on her feet and Ming muttered under her breath about running out of time. "But... but they'll be in the hut. Sometimes Daddy goes away, but he always comes back. He always comes back. And Mommy will be there now. She's always there."_

_Zaheer shook his head. "Not this time. They can no longer take care of you. Something terrible happened to your home and we need to keep you safe. I'm sorry, but you cannot go back."_

_"But... but I want to," Korra said, sniffing. She looked like she was going to cry._

_"I know this is a difficult time, " Zaheer said. "And this is a shock. But we cannot let you go back. You are too important. We will keep you safe until it is the right time." Korra's lip trembled. "Korra?"_

_"Uh-huh?" She was clenching her fists at her side, her body shaking._

_Zaheer smiled. "I must apologize. I did not start this conversation in quite the right way. My companions and I will be your protectors and your teachers. We will be your new parents."_

_Korra did not say anything._

_"Korra. Did you parents ever make you promise not to tell other people about special things you could do?" She glanced up, her eyes wide. Zaheer's smile widened. "You belong to the water tribe, don't you, Korra?" She nodded. "And you can bend water?" Korra's forehead creased for a moment and she nodded. "Good. Now," Zaheer gestured to Ming. "Can you do something like this?"_

_Ming rolled her eyes, but she moved and whipped her water tentacles around as she formed a snowman out of the snow. Korra stared at it, entranced._

_Zaheer nodded to her and turned back to Korra. "Would you like to learn how Ming was able to do that?" Korra nodded and opened her mouth to add something. Zaheer spoke first. "But I know you can bend other things too. Can't you Korra?" She looked shocked but recovered fast and shook her head. "Such a pity," he said, gesturing to P'Li. "If only you could. P'Li could have taught you how to bend fire like she does." P'Li held her hands in front of her, crouching down beside Zaheer. She stroked her hands back and forth as flames gathered into clumps, forming balls of fire that slipped from one hand to the other. Korra watched in wide-eyed amazement. "And if you could earth bend, well, Ghazan could teach you some things."_

_Zaheer nodded to him and Korra stared at him for the first time. He focused on the ground below the snow, tearing at the soil and rock. No. Too simple. He needed to wow the Avatar. Ghazan concentrated, heating up the rock, melting it into a viscous fluid. The lava flowed up from the ground, melting the snow as it passed and he gathered it into a sphere. What would impress her? An animal of some kind might be best. He moved his fingers and the rock shifted into the shape of a fish._

_"Little help, Ming?" he asked. Ming rolled her eyes and gestured, the rock freezing solid in his hands. Ghazan knelt beside Zaheer and offered Korra the sculpture. The girl's eyes were bright, and now she was asking what else he could make. A hut? A otter-penguin? A star? The sun? "I can make you all kinds of things," he boasted. "And I'll teach you how to make them yourself." Korra beamed at him, the demonstrations enough to encourage her to walk further with them. Each member of the Red Lotus told her what she wanted to hear. How her favorite foods would be for breakfast, all the toys she would have, all the animals she would see. Everything she could learn. They made no mention of the training; the practice necessary to hone her bending to brutal effectiveness. How the history she would learn was not as others taught it._

_They left the continent behind without meeting another soul and sailed North. They had distracted Korra; she seemed to no longer want or be thinking about her former home. It was only later that night Ghazan realised they could not grow too comfortable just yet. He had the first watch on deck and could only listen as the young Avatar sobbed into the night, only stopping as sleep took her._

* * *

><p>Naga panted as she padded up the hill. She had only ever carried her before; Bolin seemed to weigh a lot more than Korra did. Besides none of them had slept much last night; their actions had exhausted Naga. "Sorry girl," Korra murmured as the sky lightened all around them. It could not be long before dawn.<p>

"Korra," Bolin yelled and she jumped.

"What?" she asked, checking every direction. There were still no signs of pursuit; no one else visible in any other direction. "What is it?" she added, re-checking around them. She turned back to Bolin who was pointing though the trees and towards the East.

"Let's stop here. It's almost sunrise, and we'll get a great view of it from here." Korra pulled back on the reins and felt Bolin slide from behind her. Her back felt cool after his body's warmth. Her friend stumbled for a moment, taking a little while to find his feet as he vanished into the rising sun's glare. Orange light stripped the forest of fine detail and reducing the trees to silhouettes. Korra slipped off of Naga's back and rubbed her head. "Good girl," she murmured.

"Korra," Bolin called. "Come on, you're going to miss it."

Korra sighed and followed him. The light dazzled her for a second as her eyes adjusted and she gasped. There was a narrow ledge high above the forest. Beyond was Republic City, sprawling across the land. It had looked huge from her vantage point in the bay, but it had not give any impression of the sheer scale. The metropolis looked so warm, so peaceful from this distance, bathed in orange light. She could not even see any people or cars from here. There was a glowing, almost painful to look at mass at one side of the city; it took Korra a few moments to recognize it as the sea.

Bolin had settled onto the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling over the drop. After a moment of indecision, Korra sat beside him. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured, not looking away from the landscape. Korra smiled.

"Yes." She glanced at Bolin, recalling his words. "'Little bit of trust'," she murmured.

"Huh?" Bolin asked.

Korra shook her head. "Just how different this is to look at. I just... haven't ever seen anything like this. All I ever got to see before was blue and white ice. Here there's so many colours. And buildings. I'd heard from-" She frowned, not wanting to mention Asami. "I'd heard there were tall buildings here, but I never expected them to look like that." She pointed at another point in the city. "Or that."

Bolin smiled. "This is the best view of the city I've ever seen. I mean, I've seen it from other places, but this one is so amazing."

"Do you know much about the city?" Korra asked.

"Some," Bolin answered. He pointed to the mountain range. "Those are the Shanghai mountains." Korra nodded. "But that big cone-like mountain there?"

Korra followed the direction of his finger and squinted at the distant object. "Okay, I see it."

"That is not a mountain," Bolin said.

Korra blinked. "It looks like a mountain."

"I know. But it's not. It's actually a dormant volcano."

"Oh. I've never seen a volcano before. Well. I've never seen anything like any of this before." She looked at Bolin. "Thank you. And thank you for before; you were really brave."

"Oh... oh you're welcome. And sorry about not being clear to you about the job, and for Yang and Li abandoning us like that. And you were the brave one. I mean, you trounced those waterbenders. That was really amazing."

Was that the heat of the sun on her cheeks? They felt warm for some reason. A faint stirring in her belly accompanied the senations. Not pain or discomfort. Just different, noticeable. Korra shook her head. "I hope the people we helped were okay after all that. Are they going to be okay in the city?"

"Oh they'll be fine," Bolin said, his smile fading. "Well. I hope they will be. And that they don't go through the stuff Mako and me had to. No. They'll be fine. I'm sure of it. They can get jobs at the Sato factories or something. Or the Cabbage Corporation. I mean, there are loads of job opportunities in the city."

Korra frowned. "But then why were all those people- Wait. What happened to you and Mako?"

Bolin looked nervous. "Well. It's nothing too bad. Well it kind is, but we had no choice. Um. You remember I told you our parents passed away?" Korra nodded. "Well, since then we did some... questionable stuff to survive."

"Questionable?" Korra asked.

"Frowned upon things? Bad things I suppose." He looked uncomfortable, and shook his head. "We... begged on the street. And we stole food. And worked for a gang. And that kind of involved mugging some people. Also stealing tyres. And various other Sato Mobile parts. And-."

"It's okay, Bolin," Korra cut in. "You don't have to tell me everything. I'm sorry for asking."

Bolin shook his head. "No. I'm not proud of it. Mom and dad would be ashamed of what we did. I... uh, had to tell you though, because I don't want to lie to you. Ever. I'll always be honest with you, Korra."

She smiled. "I don't think your parents could begrudge you staying alive if you had no choice. And they would approve of you helping those people earlier - no matter how Yang and Li behaved."

Bolin nodded. "And we're heroes together, Korra. I bet your parents will be proud of you too." His words caught her off-guard and before she could compose herself, Bolin's face fell. She glanced away.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Bolin said, falling silent.

"It's... it's okay. It's been so long now."

"Who looked after you?" Bolin asked after a pause. "I mean, after your parents? Was it one parent or your aunt and uncle, or grand parents or...?"

"My teachers," she replied.

"Well," Bolin said after a moment. "Family is not just a mom or dad. Or both. And brothers and sisters. I mean, Mako's my brother, but he's also like all of those things combined." Bolin was smiling. "He loves me, and I love him. And he takes care of me." He turned to stare down at the city again. "Sometimes I think I haven't done enough for him. But," he said. "After today I reckon I can do things on my own. So he doesn't have to worry about me as much anymore."

"I'm sure he'd still want to take care of you. But, if you ever need help, you can always ask me." Korra put her hand on his shoulder, and Bolin looked nothing short of ecstatic. She glanced towards the city again. The statue was visible; it could not hurt to ask. "The statue in the bay; can you tell me anything about it?"

"Hmmm? Oh. You mean the statue of Avatar Aang?"

Asami's words confirmed. The statue was of the Avatar. And that Avatar had a name; Aang. "Can you tell me any more?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

"A bit. Apparently they have some of the former Avatars' artefacts on display in the museum underneath it. There's some of Kyoshi's fans, Roku's headpiece, Aang's nomad clothes. Oh, and the saddle for his air bison. But... I could never afford to go. The ferry fair is really expensive. And I'm not a good enough swimmer to get over there myself, so I never went. I think the air acolytes can get in for free actually."

There's something confused here, an answer she needs, but how to get at it without revealing everything to Bolin? The air benders were extinct; Zaheer was firm on this point. Oh, there are air acolytes; individuals who still adhere to the mind-set, traditions and rituals of the air nomads. But they are incapable of bending the air. So where did Aang fall into this? As far as she knew one of the older fire lords manged to purge the entire tribe. Wait. Her history book detailed two of the former Avatars; Kyoshi and Roku. Before this point the book was lacking a lot of detail, but there was an off-hand mention of a sequence; earth, fire, air, water. It never quite struck home before, or quite resonated in the right way. There was only one Avatar at a time. Her predecessor was an airbender. He had to be for the sequence to remain true. But there was a strange void in the history, a hundred year plus section which seemed to skip the air nation Avatar. Was Aang the Avatar for that period? How long ago did he live?

"Bolin, I need to know more."

Bolin blinked. "More? History isn't my greatest area, but I can try."

Korra pointed. "How long ago was the statue made?"

"Oh. This one I do know. Fire lord Zuko commissioned it when they founded Republic City together forty-eight years ago. The Avatar must have been about eighteen at the time I think? Hey, I think there's still a statue of Kyoshi in the Earth Kingdom if you're interested."

"Do you... do you know what he looked like when he was older? Or... does anyone else have those arrows on their heads?"

Bolin looked at her. "Um. I think Aang was always bald? Oh, I know he had a beard. And a lot of the air acolytes have the arrows."

The monk. The monk was Avatar Aang. She was sure of it. Well. She needed to find him or an image of him to be sure- Wait. If the monk was the Avatar, then that meant...

"He's dead isn't he?"

"Aang? Afraid so. He died... maybe seventeen, eighteen years ago? Kind of a pity I wasn't born in the water tribe. Maybe I would have wound up as the Avatar." He laughed, Korra taking a second to join in.

"Well, I think I'm about the same age," she added.

Bolin smiled. "Hey, and you were born to the right tribe as well." He blinked, his smile fading a little. "Um, Korra. You... I mean, have you ever...?"

"What?" Korra said, a chill running through her.

"Nothing, nothing," Bolin said, scratching at his head as he stared down at the city. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Hey, Bolin?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me anything else about him? About Aang?"

Bolin relaxed. "What I remember at least." He cleared his throat. "It's a long story though. Also some of it might be from a radio serial. And they kinda take liberties for dramatic effect."

"I don't mind," Korra said, leaning forward.

"Well," Bolin's voice grew deeper. "The story begins over a hundred years ago with the death of Avatar Roku..."

* * *

><p>"Miss Sato, are you sure about this?" Asami could feel Shu staring over her shoulder as she filled in the form.<p>

"Of course. Why else would I be doing this?"

There was a short delay before Shu replied. "Well, he might have threatened you when we left you alone."

"He didn't."

"But he must have said something to you."

Asami smiled. "He did. Though it wasn't a threat."

"He could have been lying." Asami did not reply. "What did he say?" Shu asked after a moment.

"Private business. We have more we need to discuss and we can't do that while he's in jail." Asami set the pen down and re-read the form. At least she had enough money in her purse to cover the fee. For some reason she doubted this would still be possible if she had to run to the bank first. Even though she watched her write everything out, Shu still looked shocked when Asami handed her the form and the money. She hesitated before she took them.

"Miss Sato; I can't stop you doing this. But you have to know that guy is dangerous. We found him fighting in an illegal bending arena. He'll sell you out without a second thought. Do you really want to associate with him?"

Asami smiled at Shu. "Thank you for your concern; I will be perfectly fine.

"But-."

"I am more than capable of protecting myself." That got an odd look from Shu, and Asami kept talking before she could voice a new protest. "If everything is in order, I would like to get on with my day."

Shu sighed. "Fine. But please don't hesitate to call us if he tries anything."

"I will be sure to do so. And thank you for all your help in this matter." Her smile seemed to disarm Shu who dithered for a moment.

"Okay. I'll process this. If you would please wait in the waiting area, I'll get him released." Asami nodded as Shu disappeared off into the depths of the building and left her alone again. She sat back on the hard, uncomfortable chair, the waiting area so familiar now. There was an odd sense of comfort about coming back here, finding it always unchanged. She smiled to herself. As if the place could change that much in three days; it would be more strange if it had changed. The bustle of people entering and leaving the building continued on as always. The process seemed to take longer than expected and Asami tried to entertain herself. She looked up whenever one of the internal doors opened, but it was always a police officer, or some other stranger.

"Hey."

Asami blinked and looked up from the newspaper another visitor had left behind. "Hi." She stood up, ignoring Mako's questioning look. "Shall we go?" She hefted her bag onto her shoulder, gathered up her coat and walked away, certain he would follow. Asami was half-way down the block before Mako said anything.

"Why did you do it?"

Asami smiled. "This and that." And a lot of faith in what Mako had said in those frantic moments when jail looked imminent.

"'This and that'?" Mako echoed. "What kind of reason is that?"

"My reason. And in case you have somehow not noticed, the only reason you are able to walk around like this." Asami gestured to her car as they drew level with it. "And you have to continue to put up with me until we get my necklace back."

"Fine." Mako slumped into the passenger seat. "But just so you know, the place I live is not the nicest area of the city. It's kinda dangerous." He glanced at her and added. "Miss Sato."

"Call me Asami. And just as well you are going to keep me safe then."

Mako sighed. "You're very trusting." Asami smiled as she started the car. "Do you need directions?"

"No, I know the way to the doctor," she said, driving forward.

"Doctor?" Mako asked.

Two hours later, Mako looked a lot better; the blood was gone from his face, and he had had a chance to shower and shave. His lip was still swollen and his eye was still black, but he looked most of the way to presentable now. Asami had to admit a lot of that was a result of the new clothes she had bought for him. Mako had been near speechless when she steered him into the clothes shop and ignored the sneers of the shop staff. The remains of his old clothes was moldering in the store's bin. And so to lunch.

"Here," Asami said, as she passed a meat bun to her companion.

"Thank you," Mako said, staring at the food. He had been saying that a lot since they left the police station. It was if he was still waiting for the axe to drop, for everything to go wrong after he had somehow gotten such a fortuitous windfall. Asami frowned as he took one large bite of the bun and wrapped the remains in a napkin. He stuffed the leftover into his pocket, his eyes darting around as he did so. Old habits she supposed. She could not tell him to just eat the snack if their company was going to end soon.

"So," Asami said, gulping down the last of her bun with a little too much haste, the hot pastry scorching her mouth. "Feeling a bit better?"

"Yes," Mako said, staring down at his legs.

"Good. So, any requests for something else, or should we retrieve my necklace now?"

Mako glanced at her. "I was ready for that hours ago."

"I know. I wanted... to help. Just a little." Mako remained silent. "Okay, I know the way to the... uh... shanty-town. Should I just head there for now?" Mako nodded. The silence in the car was a little uncomfortable as they drove; Asami clicked on the radio, catching the end of a drama. She had only been half listening to it in previous weeks. The mercenary had wound up chasing after one of his love interests after she had gone off on her own. The drama ended on a cliffhanger as the mercenary and his friends raced to keep the girl safe. To her surprise, Asami found herself more than a little intrigued. When was the next broadcast? She would have to bear it in mind. The news followed the program, still a welcome distraction from the silence. After some preamble and world news, there was a more immediate, local announcement.

"All citizens are advised to be wary of a dangerous waterbender in Republic City. The unnamed immigrant attacked a harbour patrol yesterday and disappeared. She was last seen wearing traditional water tribe clothing and riding on a large, unidentified white animal. Police are asking for any information on her current whereabouts and urging anyone who encounters her to be careful."

"How is it possible to screw up the news that badly?" Mako asked, staring at the radio. "'Waterbender'." Mako snorted. "She's a firebender."

"Wait, you know who that is?" Asami glanced at him.

Mako blinked. "Yeah. At least, I think I do. I met her yesterday. Or at least I met a firebender dressed like a water tribe girl with a large, white animal. Don't think there could be two of them here at the same time." He smirked. "Us criminals have to stick together after all."

"Is she really dangerous?"

Mako frowned. "Don't think so. My brother Bolin is quite taken with her, but we didn't exactly hit it off that well. She really didn't like anyone helping her."

"Ah, so Bolin is your brother's name?" Asami checked the road ahead and glanced to Mako again. "Wait, was he your accomplice that night?"

Mako stared down again. "Yeah."

"And you said you had to look after him. How old is he?"

"Sixteen," Mako answered.

"Sixteen," Asami exclaimed. "I thought he was a baby."

Mako snorted. "Miss S- Asami, if you met him you'll see he is still a kid. A big kid, but definitely not an adult." Mako stared of the car. "You might end up meeting him; he should be at home right now with her."

Asami hummed. "I always wondered what it would feel like."

"Feel like? Having a kid?"

"No," she said glancing at him and rolling her eyes. "Having a brother or a sister."

Mako leant back. "Well, I've had one as long as I can remember, so I don't think I could tell you either way." He leant forward. "Pull over and park here. We'll go the rest of the way on foot."

Asami felt a twinge in her stomach. Mako's face was stern now. She parked and fished under the seat for the anti-theft device, locking it across the steering wheel. Unable to help herself she locked and relocked the car twice before turning to Mako.

"Okay. First up, take off all your jewelry. We don't want any more attention than necessary." He glanced up and down her. "Do you have a coat or anything? Just something to put over your dress?"

"I do. Is... is all this necessary?" Asami asked as she removed her earrings.

"I don't know. I don't make a habit of bringing rich, well dressed girls home."

"Look, I-."

"I know, I know. You just want your necklace. And all I'm saying is we want to draw as little attention to you being here as possible." Mako met her gaze without hestitation. "So try and blend in and you up our chances of getting in and out without anyone noticing." His posture relaxed a little. "Though, you could just wait here while I went and got it."

"No way. I told you before; you're stuck with me until I get it back."

"Fine. Don't say I didn't offer and don't say I didn't warn you. This way." Mako strode along the street, Asami fastening her coat around her and buttoning it up to the top. She wondered if she should remind Mako he was wearing better clothes than normal. She had parked her car outside a Satomobile showroom, and just beyond it was what might have once been a field.

"Wait. I remember this place," Asami said with a frown.

"You've been over here before? Well, I suppose you did know where it was." Mako said without looking back.

"No. I mean, yes, I mean I've heard about this place. The owner used to graze ostrich horses here. He didn't have any heirs and his whole estate is tied up in the courts. All his siblings want their cut."

"The concerns of the rich, eh?" Mako observed with a wry smile.

"I didn't say I thought it was a good way to be," Asami said, frustrated as they turned down an alley. The area became more and more run down as they walked. The brick walls to either side of them crammed with graffitti. Asami stared at the huge, lurid letters as they walked.

"Don't do that," Mako said.

"What?"

"Stare at the tags. Every gang's got their own. If you keep looking at them like that, then everyone's going to know you're new here." Asami pulled her gaze from the wall, staring at the back of Mako's head as they turned a corner into the roar of a crowd. A large, open area was awash with people and stalls. Asami tried and failed to stop herself from staring at the variety of stalls and objects for sale. A stall selling octofishes jammed up against another that looked like it was selling parts for Sato mobiles. Asami tried to get in closer, but someone took hold of hand hand; Mako. "Here. It's easy to get separated." He tugged at her hand, and with a last glance at the stall, Asami followed. There were book stalls, food stalls, places to sell weapons, and even what looked like a bar. Animals ran past her feet, cages of birds adding to the cacophony.

There were people closed all around them. The scent of cooking food mixed with mud, dirt and sweat. There were some unidentifiable smells mixed in and none of them pleasant. The air felt think and cloying. It was tempting to cover her nose, but since no one else was doing so Asami resisted the temptation; it might mark her out as a stranger here. This notion of sticking with Mako was getting less and less appealing by the second. But it was also fascinating in a strange way. So many new sights drawing her attention every other moment. It was only after staring at the third identical image of a man in a mask that Asami thought to ask Mako about it.

"What's that poster about?"

Mako glanced at it and kept on walking. "I'm not completely sure to be honest. There are a lot of rumors. Well, there always are. But I always hear the same ones about that lot. It's some kind of chi-blocking club I think; they get into fights with bending gangs."

Asami stared at the next poster they passed. "There are non-benders who go up against benders?" Mako nodded. "I'm impressed," she added.

"It's quite something. Assuming those rumors are true."

"I..." Asami broke off. "I half want to say it's a good thing, but I guess the chi-blockers are also a gang?" she asked.

"As far as I know," Mako said.

"Thought so. But it is good that there are non-benders capable of standing up to benders like that. Having benders unanswerable to anyone would be terrible. I mean, there's still all that fuss about the next Avatar and we haven't found her." Asami's eyes widened. "Or him," she added, trying not to think of the cold once again. "We've coped fine on our own since the last one."

"Wish I could disagree more, but its not like everyone uses bending for anything useful. I'd trade mine for having my parents back."

There was a gulf there; he had no one aside from his brother. She had her father and his wealth. They were from two different worlds. They left the market behind, the air quietening as they walked. Mako was still holding her hand, and Asami could not bring herself to let go just yet. The pavement beneath them ran out and now there was just thick mud that sucked at their shoes as they walked through it. On the other side of a polluted stream Mako relaxed and Asami caught the change in his body language. Was his home nearby? A battered shack sat between two buildings and up against a tree.

"My home," Mako smirked. He banged on the door. "Hey Bolin?" No response; he tried again. "Hey Bolin, you in there? Korra? Anyone?" Asami peered in the window; nothing more than a square hole in the wall.

"It doesn't look like anyone's in there."

Mako sighed. "Wonder where he got to." He pushed the door open; the door did not even have a lock. How could they live like that? Or was it that he had no choice? "Come in for a second," Mako said. Asami pulled the door closed behind her, as Mako scratched at the wall beside a pile of junk. The wood peeled back and he extracted something. "As promised," he said, holding out her necklace.

Asami's hands trembled as she reached out. She had hoped, had believed in him, but it was still amazing to now be holding her memento once again. "Thank you, Mako," she said, clutching the necklace to herself. It would not do for a repeat of previous circumstances; Asami slipped the necklace into her inside pocket.

Mako shook his head. "No, thank you. You trusted me, you got me checked over, you bought me clothes and lunch. And after I stole from you. I... I can't really repay you." He gestured around. "I don't have anything to give. Though I'll get you back to your car, and I'll try to live a better life."

Asami smiled, following Mako's arms as he gestured and noticed the framed picture in the corner. "I'll consider us even if you get me back to the car. And let me have a quick look at that picture."

"Oh. Sure, be my guest," he said, passing it to her. It was a black and white photograph taken years before and well before his police mug shot. There was Mako. The other child must be Bolin. And there are his parents.

"Can I ask a question?"

Mako smiled. "I owe you so much; you can do pretty much what you want."

"What did happen to your parents?"

Mako's face grew serious. "Firebender loan sharks. It happened pretty much how you'd think." Neither of them spoke for a moment. "That picture and this scarf are all we have left," he said fingering the scarf around his neck.

"I'm sorry," Asami said. "But I know how you feel. My mother... She..." Asami swallowed. "She died confronting firebenders and-." She fell silent.

Mako grimaced. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

Asami shook her head. "It's okay. It's been a long time. But they were in our home and-"

"Do you hate firebenders?"

"What? No, why would I?"

"I wanted to. But I am one, just like them." He sighed. "But I couldn't do that." Asami reached forward, resting her hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but settled. "I need to find my brother. Make sure he's not in trouble. Him or his new friend."

"Is that such a risk?"

Mako glanced at her. "It might be. Bolin might end up doing something stupid just to impress her. And she thinks she's untouchable just because she's a decent firebender."

"So many firebenders," murmured Asami. "Well, let's go then. We can cover more ground with the car."

Mako frowned. "Wait, Asami, you don't-."

"Ah, Mako. You have found yourself a very nice specimen this time, haven't you?" A new voice interrupted him.

"Boss," Mako said, turning to look at the blonde, heavy-set man who peered in the window.

"Care to step outside so we can... ah, talk things over?" Mako nodded, his body tense. He mouthed 'Shady Shin' to Asami as he opened the door. "Mako, Mako, Mako. I am... astonished to see you out of jail. And looking so presentable. Did you by chance have some secret stash that you kept from me? Not completely honest with your takings each day?"

"Nothing like that, boss. Just got lucky."

Shin laughed. "Lucky. Lucky you say? Well, Mako. I rather think you used it for the wrong thing. See, remember that little fight you were having last night?" Mako nodded. "Good. I was half-afraid that earthbender managed to knock what little brains you have right out of your head. Well, thanks to her performance and your lackluster display, we lost a lot of money. I bet on you Mako and you failed me. So I was thinking of sending you a little message." Shin looked past him. "It would be terribly tragic if, say, your home here had some accident befall it. If it was... no longer here."

"I can pay you back," Mako said, clenching his fists.

"I doubt that, Mako. If you had that kind of money, you would not be living here. In any case, your services are no longer required." Shin smiled. "That earthbender; she was something else though. And only a visitor to our shores if you can believe that. I heard she's from Zaofu, though why one of their lot would be fighting in the arena..." he shook his head. "No matter. Since you are here, I think I can spare your home. You will repay me another way."

Shin gestured to the men behind him who assumed combat stances. Asami leaned into Mako. "How much do they want? I can pay it for you."

Mako glanced at her, his eyes wild. "It's too late for that. Just run." He pushed her forwards, towards Shin, towards the gang as fire blasted from his fist. There was an opening ahead of her and Asami took it, sprinting forward. "Don't look back," Mako yelled from behind her. She ran. No. She should fight. Asami knew how; how to defend against earthbenders, how to defend against waterbenders. How to defend against firebenders; the one she remembered most with vivid detail. But the training always assumed singular opponents. There had been seven firebenders there; assuming Shin was not also capable of the skill. No. She had to run.

The memories of the route were fresh in her mind; it did not take long for the noise and chaos of the market to appear before her again. Okay; now what? Police? Was there even a police presence here? No of course not; so many dubious or outright illegal things out in the open. Think. Time was running out. Okay; so where outside of the area could there be police? Asami grabbed at people around her, asking for the nearest police building. Answers were not immediate and it took an age to find someone to tell her. It was not too far, but to get through the market, through the back alleys and then return. Too long. She fidgeted, her hands clasping each other in anxiety, people all around her looking at her with narrowed eyes. She muttered and mumbled under her breath; rejecting and rethinking the same things over and over again. No time.

Asami spotted something white out of the corner of her eye. Something big, moving through the crowd. There were two people on it. Radio. Mako said something about the radio. Waterbender. Not a waterbender; firebender. Large white creature. Mako's brother; Bolin. The girl; his friend. K- something? Does not matter. Mako needed help and they were right there.

"Bolin," she yelled.

* * *

><p>Timeline:<p>

Korra age 3: Kidnapped by the Red Lotus

Korra age 4: Met Asami (age 5)

**Day 0**: Korra leaves the Red Lotus compound before midnight.

**Day 1:**

Early dawn: Bolin and Mako mug Asami

Morning: Meeting of world leaders about the situation in the Earth Kingdom

Afternoon: Korra arrives at the shores of Republic City (In the series, a ship can travel from the South Pole to RC overnight. Korra in this AU traveled half this distance with the aid of an underwater current)

Before sunset: Mako and Bolin finds Korra and helps her escape firebenders, they take her home

Night: Mako fights in an bending battle, got arrested. Asami was called by the police.

**Day 2**

Before dawn: Korra and Bolin's smuggling adventure

Morning: Asami visits the prison

Before noon: Asami and Mako goes to the slums

* * *

><p>Thanks to all reviewers! And here are the review replies, sorry I can't reply to all the comments since they will be spoilerybetter revealed in the story itself.

**Dreamer **

_This was really nice. You (as in the group/collaboration) are doing a fantastic job with the pacing and details. I really do like how you are able to put so many different perspectives with quite a bit of information simply by showing the scenery (most of the time) or the actions of a few._

_Question: if the refugees traveled on a boat across a river, does that mean that they were on an island (kind of like Ellis Island in U.S. Immigration history) or was the immigration camp part of the mainland, but separate from Republic City? Where I come from I'm not to familiar with rivers._

RE: No they're not on an island. The refugees were camped outside the city with a forest and a fence separating them. The river flows directly to Republic City and if they sail further it goes to the to the Yue Bay. :)

**Skittymon **

_Oh, and there's one thing I forgot to ask a couple chapters ago. If the counsel has a on representative for each nation (with Tonraq and Unalaq for Water Tribe since they're probably still separated to a degree) then why is Tarrok there? Is he like a spokesman or the representative for Republic City?_

RE: Tarrlok is a representative of the Water Tribe in Republic City, which are RC citizens. Just like in the original series there's a representative for each ethnicity in RC (Earth, Fire and Air) but some didn't speak in the portion of the meeting shown in the story (it lasted for hours.) They are assigned/sent by the respective leaders the main states, although the EK one is not technically from the Queen. Unalaq is the main chief of both tribes, Tonraq is the ambassador of the south and a minor chief, he is invited as some refugees from the EK also flee to the south pole. Suyin is not an EK representative but only a Zaofu rep, but sometimes stand as a de facto rep from EK citizens in RC.

The status of RC is in AU is that it's a "dependent territory" not an autonomous state. This matter will be explored more in Book 2.

**Guest**

_Awesome as usual but I'm a little curious about how you plan to approach canon in regards to pairings. Will you be including the Makorra and Masami pairings, or will you be doing Korrasami from the start? The childhood friendship angle that you've introduced with Korra and Asami makes me think the latter but I was just wondering._

RE: I understand a lot of people read fanfics for a particular pairing, and I'm one of those. But we feel that this fanfic is best experienced with the audience getting to know the characters and seeing them interact in the context of the AU rather than what the series established for them.

We have a long-run individual arcs for each character. Whether or not romance is included will be revealed in the story. It's immensely satisfying and encouraging to see reviews like yours speculating what will happen.

**TBone511**

_Well, on to the story. It looks like this AU has a lot of similarities to the canon verse but is rewritten with a darker edge to it; such as Korra's Red Lotus upbringing making her more ruthless and less naïve than her mainstream counterpart, Mako and Bolin resorting to crime instead of sports, and the Earth Kingdom appearing to be on the brink of total ruin. I also love how Kuvira appears to be a future Team Avatar member, I've always believed that she would have been a great metalbending teacher for Korra._

RE: As much as it's tempting to use what the series instead of building our own, we feel we need to make the most of this alternate universe. Dark? I like that description.

**alehficsmore**

_Maybe I didn't like her tired because when I saw Bolin kind of hurt after waking up thought It was the way he slept on the floor ( like always) And I liked the way it was pointed out. But Asami woke up the same way. With the joints stiff, and well, I don't know If I was wrong to assume he woke up like that because of where he slept on._

RE: We're flattered you noticed the detail in the work. Well the answer is that both Bolin and Asami ended up sleeping in uncomfortable positions, but even if Asami is in a soft bed and Bolin sits on the ground that's simply how different their "normal" lives are.

**Kradeiz **

_I like how your take on this world has changed things for Bolin and Korra too, with them sneaking refugees into the city (albeit for money, in the former's case). It's nice to have some bonding moments with them, too, since all we ever saw of that in canon was the shippy stuff with their date. Though I'm hoping after this escapade that Bolin gets a bit more comfortable around Korra. Guessing he's not gonna be big helping out the gangs for a while either seeing how they ditched him and Korra._

_I do wonder when the Equalists are going to pop up, if they are still the main antagonists of Book 1, but maybe they have yet to get started. You guys will probably do a much better job getting to the heart of their issues than Bryke did._

We really do our best to present a more fleshed-out world which is the similar to the series but also unique to our AU. I'll just say pay attention to details, they might become important later on :D

**Q:Is the whole Book 1 60 chapters?**

**RE: I apologize for the implication but Book 1 isn't 60 chapters, the entire work is… ideally. Book 1 might have 18-20 chapters, Book 2 currently has 19, and Book 3 has 21-23 chapters lined up. This might change depending on the reviews. The events, character arcs and conflicts are already fixed but we're willing to add flashbacks or world-building. **

**Book 1 was conceived first and we designed it in a way that it should test the success of the AU - although we put the necessary foundation for future storylines. If Book 1 isn't a success, or by some chance, we are unable to commit due to personal problems/unexpected circumstances, the story can be discontinued. Book 2 and Book 3 are two halves of a whole. **

**But we are very committed in finishing this story. After all, my top five or six favorite chapters are all in Book 3.**


	7. Search of the Lotus

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 7: Search of The Lotus**

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><p><em>Ming scowled. The Avatar's stance was all wrong and though it did not seem to be hindering her. Ming lashed out at her with a water whip. Earthbenders were never successful when they tried similar defensive stances against her; not at the speed she could move water. They were always slow, exacting; preferring to stay as close to the ground as possible. The mindset was understandable, but seemed a fundamental weakness when encountering a waterbender. How they ever coped with airbenders was beyond her. But Korra coped just fine. Despite her earthbender-like stance she did not move as expected. Before the water whip could touch her, Korra leapt up into the air. In the moments when she dodged, flipped and span around, she moved as a waterbender would. But as soon as her feet were on the ground, the Avatar switched to her earthbender mindset. She never sought to use her speed and grace as an attack.<em>

_It was no surprise to find Korra took to waterbending without issue. From those frenzied moments in the village, Ming knew at least the girl's mother had a similar skillset. Korra skipped through the basics in no time, the specific initial forms easy for her to grasp and she was already capable of directing water at her opponent. But there was no finesse to her movements, no elegance with the water. All too often Korra was content to just form ice and fling it at her opponent. Thus; Korra's response to her water whip attack was to clump the snow into a mottled blob and send it hurtling towards Ming. The Avatar was over-confident, smirking to herself as she stood ready for the next attack. Oh. Not so weak. The clumps required a little more effort to destroy than Ming assumed; it seemed the core of each was solid. At least Korra was not just throwing over-sized snowballs around. It still remained a poor use of her skill. Ming sighed._

_"This is not earthbending, Korra."_

_Korra looked confused. "What?" She clumped together another block of ice._

_"Waterbending should not be reduced to flinging blocks of ice at your opponent." Korra ignored her and hefted the block up. "Drop that right now," Ming shouted._

_"Can't cope with it, Ming? If it's giving you trouble then it seems like a good tactic to me." Korra flung projectile forward and Ming smashed it apart. She scowled._

_"All you are doing is throwing oversized snowballs around. They are easy to block and even easier to destroy. You will not harm anyone with them."_

_"So what?" Korra said, forming another clump of snow. "I'll attack with fire. I can just stick with water for defence." She threw her latest creation forward; Ming cut through it._

_"The Avatar is intended to master all the elements. Not use some for one thing and some for another," she replied_

_"Yeah, but I'm not going to master air anytime soon. So why worry about mastering the other three like that?"_

_"Drop that right now," Ming snarled._

_Korra rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. The block she formed was more ice-like than its predecessors, but still crumbled as it fell to the ground._

_"It seems clear you have not being paying any attention to me," Ming said with forced calmness. "This is how you waterbend."_

_Ming held one of her whips out in front of her, keeping it parallel with the ground. She twisted the end and froze the water; the point now resembling an ice drill. Korra stared at it, not looking impressed._

_"I like my way better," she said._

_Ming scowled. "You're not going to be able to do as much damage with those snowballs."_

_"Fine," Korra said, exasperated. "I'll make sure they're more solid in future. Then no one will be able to break them up."_

_"No. You will practice producing cutting and stabbing edges like this one."_

_"But-" Korra began. A movement caught Ming's eye. Otter penguins. Physical harm to Korra had been forbidden by Zaheer, but he had said nothing about psychological. Or harm to something else. Ming needed to make things clear to the Avatar._

_"Perhaps a demonstration is in order then?" Ming said, her smile cold._

_"Demonstration?" Korra asked, confused._

_"Yes. You do seem to be missing how effective my methods are. Now, this is waterbending." She cracked the whip forward. The otter penguin did not even look around as the ice sped towards it. The creature let out a strangled sqwawk as the drill passed through it's body. The other birds nearby shrieked and waddled away from their dead companion. Ming turned to Korra. The girl had not said a word, her gaze fixed on the dead bird and the expanding pool of blood around it. Korra started wailing. "Stop that," Ming commanded. Korra ignored her. "Stop crying this instant you snivelling brat." Korra sank to her knees, sobbing. Ming scowled at the hunched, pathetic form of the Avatar. "Korra," she snapped again. Korra continued to sob, ignoring her teacher. Ming muttered to herself and stalked away._

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><p>Tenzin blinked his eyes open as the knocking came again. Pema yawned and rolled over.<p>

"Tenzin... someone... door," she said, directing a lot of her speech into her pillow.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Tenzin pulled the door open. Meelo beamed up at him, looking far too energetic for this time of day.

"Finally," he said. "Can we got learn the air scooter now?"

Tenzin sighed. "I said I would only do that if you successfully meditate this morning. Have you done so Meelo?"

"Yes," Meelo said, looking away.

"Really?" Tenzin asked.

"No," Meelo admitted after a fidgeting pause.

"Then you can't learn the air scooter."

"But it's so boring," Meelo protested.

"Meditation is an integral part of airbending. If you wish to learn more advanced techniques, you need to learn the basics. That means being able to meditate. Now go on. The sooner you start, the sooner you can learn the air scooter."

"Fine," Meelo said, trudging away.

"I'll be down soon," Tenzin called. He reclosed the door and considered returning to bed. At some point Pema had rolled over and managed to sprawl across both sides of the bed. So much for that idea. "Pema? Honey?" Pema made something approaching a confirmation. "Do you want to get up now or sleep in a bit more?"

"Sleep," she murmured, waving a hand at him.

Tenzin smiled. "Okay. Sleep well." He kissed her cheek and changed into his robes. Meelo, Jinora, Ikki and Touga sat eating breakfast, each greeting him with a wave as he entered the dining area.

"Jinora, Ikki, Touga," Tenzin nodded to each as he sat down. "Meelo; you haven't meditated yet have you?"

"I have," Meelo replied.

"It has not been anywhere close long enough for you to have properly centred your thoughts. But no matter, you can join the rest of us as we begin after breakfast." The phone began ringing next door. Tenzin sighed.

"I'll go," Touga said.

"Thank you," Tenzin replied. Meelo appeared deep in thought.

"Hang on..." Meelo frowned. "Weren't we going to meditate after breakfast anyway?"

"Yes. Just as always."

"But then... why did I need to before?" Meelo asked.

"Extra meditation never hurt anyone," Tenzin replied.

"Hurts me," Meelo muttered as he munched on his breakfast.

Tenzin ignored the comment. "After the meditation we will start training. I will go through the principles of the air scooter after that and after lunch I thought we could go across to the memorial."

"Cleaning?" Meelo groaned. "Why do we have to clean it? It's all old stuff. Can't someone else do it?"

"Meelo," Jinora said. "It's our responsibility as Grandfather's descendants."

Tenzin smiled, wishing once again that his father had lived to meet his grand children.

"Master Tenzin?" Touga peered back into the room.

"Yes, Touga?"

"I'm sorry, but the call is from Chief Beifong?"

So much for breakfast. "Thank you. If they finish before I return, please start the meditation without me." Touga nodded. Tenzin picked up the phone. "Lin; is everything okay?"

"Tenzin; sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing. Oh, damn. Is that the time? You weren't asleep were you? Nevermind. This is too important for sleep."

"Okay, hold on there, Lin. What is it?"

"Something pretty huge; I need to tell you something right now. And I don't want anyone else to know."

Tenzin blinked. "Too important to tell me over the phone?"

"I reckon so. Might just me being paranoid. I mean... No, nevermind. Please, just get here as soon as you can."

"Okay. I'm on my way," Tenzin headed for the front door, almost running into Pema. She looked a little frazzled.

"Everything okay?" she asked as he stumbled to a halt.

"I'm not sure. Chief Beifong just called about something. Something big."

Pema frowned. "Any idea what it's about?"

"No. Well, it could be..." he trailed off. No. Not good to get his hopes up; the chances against it were astronomical. Not even good to make jokes about it. "It's urgent at least. Sorry to run off like this. I had planned for us to spend the day together. I mean, I just want to be here in case-" He glanced down to her stomach.

Pema cut him off with a kiss and smiled. "Two months still, Tenzin. Don't worry about me. You don't have to look after me twenty-four-seven."

"I... I know. I just..." he smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said and kissed her again. Tenzin ducked his head into the dining area. "Ikki? Meelo? I'm sorry but the air scooter might have to wait. Something important has come up."

"Aw, man," Meelo scowled as Ikki sighed, prodding at her breakfast with a sullen look.

"Touga? Please just go through meditation and basic forms. I might be back in time to finish up, but if not..."

Touga nodded. "I know what to do."

"Too slow, Tenzin." Lin looked tense as she tapped her foot on the police station roof.

"Good boy," Tenzin murmured to Oogi as flipped himself down from the air bison. "Lin; I apologise for the delay."

Lin waved it away. "Doesn't change anything; come on." She hurried down the stairs. "I'm worried about how long I can keep a lid on this." Tenzin glanced around as they walked. A few people took notice of him, but nothing outside the norm. It was to be expected though; he remained one of the only airbenders in the entire world. Lin did not say anything further as they walked; she slapped her foot against the ground at regular intervals, pausing each time before continuing, satisfied with whatever she sensed. They arrived at an interrogation room in an older, less trafficked part of the station. Inside was a teenage girl; her eyes widened as Tenzin entered and she scrambled to her feet.

"Officer Chang," Lin said. "Sorry for the long delay." She glared at Tenzin. "This is Tenzin; son of Avatar Aang."

Chang bowed. "It is an honour to meet you, sir."

"Likewise," Tenzin replied, bowing back and ignoring Lin. "But, please, Tenzin is fine."

"Okay." Lin stomped on the ground again. "Okay we're good. Chang; I want you to tell Tenzin exactly what you told me."

Chang swallowed. "Okay. At around noon yesterday there was a call for reinforcements at Yue beach due to an aggressive waterbender. My team were part of the reinforcements that got called in to help. We weren't needed in the end; the waterbender left just as we got there, but she did a real number on the two who found her. They'd found her asleep on the beach with his huge, white dog-like creature and she just attacked them; wound up flinging both of them up in the air and breaking one officer's leg."

Tenzin frowned. "I think I heard about this yesterday. Lin was this-?" Lin nodded.

"There's more," Chang said. "I saw her again - early this morning. I was on river patrol; we found a boat tied up near the boundary fence and ran into a group of human traffickers. There were four benders; two firebenders, a waterbender, an earthbender. And they had a big, white dog-like creature with them."

"So the waterbender from the beach was there?"

Chang shook her head. "I mean. Yes she was, but-" She fidgeted. "I didn't recognise her at first. I mean the girl this morning; she was obviously from the water tribe. But she was wearing traditional earth kingdom clothing and I just didn't realize at first. It was only when her hat came off that I realized she was the same girl."

"This is troubling," Tenzin said, still unsure of the relevance. "Human trafficking is a big problem for the city."

"Tenzin," Lin said in a sharp tone. "Let her finish. I wouldn't drag you down here to talk about human traffickers. Chang?"

"The girl, the water tribe girl, she was... firebending."

Tenzin leant forward. "She was what?"

"Firebending. I saw her do it."

Tenzin sighed. "Then the initial report must be wrong. Either she wasn't the waterbender on the beach, or something has been confused somewhere."

Lin shook her head. "The original officers have been consistent with their story and seriously? How many huge white dog-like creatures do you reckon are seen in the company of water tribe girls?"

"I know it's hard to believe. But I think she might be... the Avatar," Chang said, holding Tenzin's gaze.

Tenzin took a deep breath. "Tenzin?" Lin said after a moment. "I know this is a bit of a longshot, but I've never heard of anything like this. I know it's been years since the last claimed Avatar sighting. And I know you can't just take someone else's word about this, but..." Lin trailed off. "Neither the harbour patrol or Chang are the type to make something like this up. And her account tallies with the other officers on patrol with her."

"How... how old did she look?" Tenzin asked as he tried to hold his excitement in check.

Chang almost smiled. "Late teens. Brunette, blue eyes, average height. She looked pretty strong."

"Did you..." Tenzin wetted his lips. "Did you catch her name?"

Chang shook her head. "Sorry. The earthbender. I think he said it, but it was hard to hear at the time."

"Chang; thank you. Please, keep this to yourself. Lin? We need to find her. Now." Tenzin swept from the room, trusting Lin to follow him.

"I want to help too," Chang said from behind him. "If that's okay?"

"Tenzin?" Lin asked.

"Chang already knows about the possibility - it would make sense for her to help us," Tenzin replied. "So," he mused, glancing around him, comforted as Lin's foot slapped against the floor. "Our biggest clue is she is or was dressed as someone from the earth kingdom. And she has a big white dog-like animal with her."

"I can't think of many things that would fit the description," Lin said. "My bet is either a polar-bear dog or a beluga-dog. There's about fifty of the latter registered in the city and I've never heard of anyone taming the former. Some people do sell them as exotic pets though. I'll put out an announcement for any information or sightings of her and her pet. I'll try and avoid having anyone approach her."

"Good idea," Tenzin said. "Also, if possible could you please inform Councilman Kim and Councilwoman Chiyo that I will be unable to attend their meetnig this morning. Tell them... tell them something, please Lin." He fell silent as he walked.

"Tenzin?" Lin asked.

"Sorry. It's just... troubling. Why would the Avatar - why would Korra - be with criminals like that?"

Lin shrugged. "I'm hoping she can explain herself - when we find her." She reached forward, touching his arm. "Tenzin; don't lose hope. It's less important than finding her at all."

"Thank you, Lin." Tenzin smiled.

"You know her name?" Chang asked.

"I believe so," Tenzin said and shot another paranoid glance around himself. He lowered his voice. "If Korra is the girl you saw, and if she is the Avatar then her past is complicated; she was kidnapped." Tenzin held up his hand as Chang opened her mouth. "It's a long story and I am worried about anyone else finding out." He turned to Lin. "We will need to let her parents know as soon as possible. Once we know if it is her; Tonraq should still be in the city though he's leaving tomorrow. At least her uncle - Unalaq - should be back in a few weeks to discuss the Spirit Glacier's festival; I want to find her before then."

"So; what's the plan?" Chang asked.

"We inform the White Lotus and the air acolytes. Then we begin searching. We need to keep this away from the media. And the fewer politicians who know about this the better. The last thing we want is for one of them to use Korra as a means to an end. Or have them warp the public's opinion of her."

Lin nodded. "Fair point. Do you reckon the other benders she was with were the ones who took her?"

"It's possible. Though I am at a loss as to why they would break their cover now." Tenzin said.

"Didn't you have some theory about who might have been responsible for the abduction?"

"Yes," Tenzin said. "The two most likely candidates were the Dai Li or the Red Lotus."

"The Dai Li?" Chang spoke up. "I thought they were just boogie-men in radio serials."

Lin sighed. "No, no they're very real unfortunately. People have a hard time believing a super-secret task force under the direct command of the earth queen is even possible - much less true. What's worse is the ranks seem to have expanded as of late to include water and firebenders." Lin glanced at Chang. "You're learning a lot of secret stuff today, kid, so keep this to yourself. We can't ever be sure what they have done; but some of the usual criminal activity... there's something about it that never sits right."

Chang nodded. "I'm sorry again, but I'm not sure I've ever heard of the Red Lotus? Or the White Lotus you mentioned before?" Tenzin paused at the bottom of the steps up to the roof. Lin interrupted him.

"You explain your theories, I'm going to get that announcement put out. See you up there in a minute."

Chang hurried behind Tenzin as he took the stairs two at a time. "The White Lotus are a secretive society who assisted with the retaking of Ba Sing Se from the fire nation," he began. "My father later charged them with locating and protecting the Avatar who would succeed him. The Red Lotus... are a bit more complicated. Twenty years ago they were an anarachist group made up of a mixture of fire, earth and waterbenders. Their goal was the elimination of any form of government or ruler within the the tribes. My father assisted with the capture of the group's leaders after a failed attempt on the life of Fire Lord Izumi and her son. The group were considered so dangerous, my father took the rare extra step of debending them before their imprisonment."

Chang's eyes widened. "Like Avatar Aang did to fire lord Ozai?"

Tenzin nodded. "The same."

"But why do you think they could be involved then?" Chang asked.

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I thought the matter settled long ago. I've heard nothing since, but there were rumours. And some oddities at the time; the founder - Zai Bau - managed to leave his body and escape to the spirit world. And his lieutenants immolated themselves at Guru Laghima's cave before we could capture them."

They emerged onto the roof, Oogi growling a welcome. Chang ran up to the air bison, staring at the creature in awe. "I've only ever seen them at a distance," she exclaimed. "Oh, I'm sorry. You were talking about the Red Lotus?"

Tenzin shook his head frowned. "It's fine. Don't worry about the Red Lotus; it's not a a good idea to chase shadows. The Dai Li are more likely those responsible. But... there were sightings of those same lieutenants for years afterwards. Especially the air acolyte who joined them. Z-something." He shook his head. "People reported seeing him and the three most powerful benders of the group for years afterward. But I've heard nothing for more than a decade." He sighed. "I just wish the assassination of King Kuei's sons didn't seem so suspicious; so similar to their methods."

"It still sounds like it makes sense to focus on the Dai Li," Chang said.

"Agreed." Tenzin sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Dad did say the next Avatar was not going to have an easy time."

"Your father forsaw all this?"

Tenzin smiled. "If only. We might have been able to get a better outcome if he had. No, he said the spirits were becoming restless due to Harmonic Convergence."

"Harmonic Convergence?" Chang frowned.

"It's also complicated, but it is going to happen soon. I will explain it later. I'll explain it all later." He sighed. "How different things would have been if they'd found her all those years ago. Before my uncle died. We needed more time."

"You went looking for the Avatar? I don't think I ever heard about that."

"It wasn't just me. There were several additional searches for the Avatar. Alongside the White Lotus, my father's surviving companions; my mother, my uncle, Lin's mother and even Fire Lord Zuko conducted their own search. It was kept very secret; nothing would provoke more attention than my father's closest friends coming together for another mission. Unfortunately it was the last time they saw each other before my uncle passed away and Toph vanished." Tenzin smiled. "At least no one noticed when I and my siblings carried out another search following afterwards. It's a shame we also came back with nothing."

"We're going to change that," Chang said.

Lin hurried up the stairs. "Okay, announcement out. Let's go."

Tenzin flipped himself onto Oogi and reached a hand down for Chang. Lin needed no help getting onto Oogi and settled down behind Tenzin. "Hey; this is just like old times." Lin said as the air bison picked up speed.

Tenzin smiled. "That it is. I think I missed this. Are you okay, Officer Chang?"

"Yes," she said, clinging to the saddle. I never thought I'd get to try this."

Lin leant forward and raised her voice over the rush of air. "After you've told the air acolytes I think we should start in the Northern slums; minimal risk of media coverage there. Lot of gangs, lot of migrants, lot of stuff that people don't want noticed. Perfect place to hide."

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><p>Zaheer was groggy the next morning after an extended visit to the spirit world. The messenger hawks should reach their respective operatives by the end of the day. Thanks to his own efforts the three highest place spies in the Fire nation, the Northern Water Tribe and Republic City now knew about the situation.<p>

P'Li was waiting for him as he emerged from his chambers. "Hi," she said and frowned. "Did you get any rest at all last night?"

Zaheer shook his head. "It took time to contact the others." He reached out to touch her cheek. "I must apologise for not spending any time with you last night."

She smiled as his fingers touched her skin. "It would have been nice," she murmured, stepping closer to him and winding her arms around his neck. There was an angry yell from nearby followed by panicked movement. P'Li sighed, dropping her arms. "Ming is still unhappy."

"Ming is always unhappy," Zaheer said as he walked towards the commotion. Ghazan ducked another water whip as Zaheer entered the room. "I take it then you have found no trace of her departure?" He asked, ignoring the fight.

Ming stopped dead, Ghazan taking advantage of the the disruption to put some space between him and his opponent.

"I found where she went under the wall," he said. "Looks like she dug down below sea level and must have waterbent after that."

"Very good. Now where did she go?" Zaheer turned to Ming.

"Water isn't like rock, Zaheer. Once she's in the water there is no way to tell where she is and where she went. For all we know she's run out of air somewhere on the sea floor," Ming said in a bitter tone.

"No," Zaheer frowned. "No, she's still alive. Perhaps not on land as yet, but the cycle has not advanced."

"The spirit world tell you that?" Ming asked.

"Yes."

She scowled. "In the mean time we are wasting time waiting for her to turn up. Why can we not divide the search? We could each go to our respective tribes. You can wait here for someone to report in."

Zaheer shook his head. "And what if someone recognises any one of us? We can not act singly. We must work as a group; just as before. No one one of us could guarantee Korra's defeat or recapture."

"When she is under our control again, what then?" P'Li asked.

"We remind her of the mission. If we have performed our roles correctly the guilt and shame at her actions will be enough to bring her back to our way of thinking." Zaheer glanced at Ming, who held his gaze without blinking. "She is still inexperienced and over-confident. The world will confuse her and that confusion will lead to withdrawal and fear. We will forge that fear into aggression."

"If the Avatar is so weak-willed, why is she not back here?" Ming demanded. "Why is she not sobbing on the door-step?"

"As you said, Ming, it remains possible - even likely - she has yet to make landfall."

"If... if she does wash up somewhere; what if she meets people who inform her of the previous Avatar's nature?" Ghazan asked.

Zaheer smiled. "Her compassion is easy to subvert. It will become a burden far too quickly; she is not the type to let innocents die."

"And yet; you insisted that we train her," Ming scowled. "It sounds like we have been wasting time on her. Compassion? We could have taken her life when we found her and aquired the earth kingdom Avatar in her place. Found that one earlier." Ming looked around, scowling. "This is the problem. Compassion for a tool. You two," she nodded at P'Li and Ghazan. "You let her off too easily. You liked spending time with her."

"Ming; if we upset her too much she will never be prepared to see things from our point of view." Ghazan's tone was clipped, rising in volume as he spoke. "Is that the problem? That you pushed her and treated her like an object and now she's fled from us?"

"I never pushed her like that; I never hurt her or made her harm any of her precious animals."

"I am well aware of that Ming; you could have activated the Avatar State and that sent us all to our graves," Zaheer snapped.

Stop it," P'Li snapped. "We are all to blame. And she was not completely honest with us; she implied there was something she was not saying before she vanished. We must remain united."

Ming sighed. "I still do not believe she is ready to kill. Another year perhaps and we might have worn down her inhibitions. At least she is prepared to attack and kill certain animals. But not if she finds them with their offspring; she always refuses in such eventualities. I have seen her let tiger sharks and polar crocs go when she sees their babies. Will it even be possible to continue her training?"

"She will be able to kill Ming, do not worry," Zaheer said.

"But-"

"She will not see her targets as human; she thinks of them more as terrible circumstances in their respective tribes. Circumstances that can be eliminated for the better," he said.

"And have you accomplished this?" Ming asked.

"While you honed her bending skills, I was honing her mind," Zaheer replied. "In addition to the altered history books, I taught her about the current world in a... specific way. The earth queen and her heirs are tyrants. Chief Unalaq is the head of an oppressive patriarchal system. And Fire lord Izumi?" Zaheer chuckled. "I conflated her with Zuko's sister; Azula was perfect for the situation. Someone as ruthless and driven as she was on the throne; Ozai's child as an unstoppable force."

Ghazan was the first to speak. "And she believes that?"

"Of course. Without a dissenting point of view, with the trust of our relationship, Korra believed me. It gave her purpose, something to fight against. Thus; her compassion subverted for our purpose."

Ming was smiling. "Clever, clever. So the tribe leaders are the first to be expunged?"

"Yes; and their families if possible. That aspect is secondary. I would have preferred she make the few sacrifices for the greater good during Harmonic Convergence."

"That thing from the old air nomad manuscript?" Zaheer nodded. "Will that really make any kind of difference to our plans?" Ghazan asked.

"It is the moment the universe's cosmic energies pour down from the heavens. Those who can use spiritual energy will be at their peak. And the Avatar will be unstoppable. Do not forget the annual summit for the world leaders coincides with the occurence. As such we must ensure her thoughts correspond to our own when it occurs."

P'Li looked worried. "But what if she does turn against us? What if she no longer believes in our mission? What if she cannot be persuaded?"

Zaheer looked at her. "Then, we will have to follow Ming's earlier suggested action. As long as we reach her before Harmonic Convergence, then she is vulnerable. We would need to invoke the Avatar state, but there is a method to turn even that against her."

"I'm almost chilled at how thorough your contingencies are," Ming said, smirking.

"I have throught through as many eventualities as possible. If she will not perform as we want, then she must be eliminated and the new Avatar sought. The same is true if she fails; though we will have less time to prepare for our goals. Souzin's comet is only thirty years away. If it comes to it, the Red Lotus must pass onto a new generation as well." His lips twitched. "Ah. Ah yes. I believe we may yet have one more bargaining chip. If all else fails."

"What are you-" Ming cut herself off as a guard approached.

"Sir? We have received a hawk from Republic City."

"So soon?" Zaheer frowned.

"It is not a reply to the messages sent out; this hawk crossed those flight paths."

"What is the message?" Zaheer said.

"Potential sighting of the Avatar in Republic City; Tenzin has alerted the White Lotus and is beginning a search with the air acolytes."

Zaheer scowled. To involve the airbender; this was a risk best to avoided it. Another complication. "Send new messages to all Red Lotus operatives; do not wait for the hwaks to return. All our members are to converge on Republic City. We must find Korra before the air acolytes or the White Lotus. We leave at once." Zaheer strode towards the hidden cove and their boat.

"Aside from Tenzin, are there any other risks in the city?" Ghazan asked.

"Not that I have been informed of," Zaheer said. "However, it is not long until her Uncle and his family are due back in the city. I do not know how much of a risk they would represent."

"One more sacrifice for the cause?" Ming asked.

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><p><strong>Thank you to Thatfan, alehficsmore, Julian Chester and TheDreamChaser for your reviews!<strong>

_Thatfan_

Thatfan

**Sanctum:** thank you so much for the in-depth reviews! You have really inspired me to work harder/change the dynamics of scenes in this most recent chapter.

Thatfan

_Who i__n the Red Lotus cares for Korra and who does she care for in return?_

_How will Mako and Bolin's criminal past really feature in a story like this were things like that have actual consequences?_

_How will would-be villains exist in this world? Are they going to be more complex? I hope so._

_(Yes this one is there too) Will Korra and Asami be romantically involved (pretend for a moment that I'm not shipping so as to leave me with some dignity)_

_Ideas that seem interesting in this story:_

_The Red Lotus and Korra clearly has my attention._

_This more wild Korra._

_The more complex political dynamic._

_The criminal element in the story._

_Yes, the romances._

Due to your very thorough reviews we feel you deserve these replies, and these will also serve as replies to other reviewers.

**On Mako and Bolin's criminal element:**

It definitely will have some consequences although some of it might show as late as Book 3. Even if we mentioned that Book 1 could be standalone it would leave all the main characters static if Book 2 and Book 3 doesn't happen. One of my favorite chapters in Book 3 is about these two.

**On Adventures and Misfortunes positive reception:**

It was supposed to be two chapters but I suggested that we combine it and the result was fantastic and a very long chapter. It made Sanctum's life harder though, as we lost an entire chapter in advance (I'm sorry).

**On Korra's relationship with the Red Lotus:**

We'll go to some of that in the later chapters and the effects of her upbringing will be seen throughout the fic. Although I must stress that the main characters in this fic are the ones listed: Korra, Bolin, Asami and Kuvira, and if there's a fifth option Mako would be put there too.

**On Chapter 1: The Girl in the Snow**

This chapter was supposed to be a prologue, but since there's no prologue option it was assigned as Chapter 1. It was also a test chapter of our partnership. I wrote a simple scenario and Sanctum rewrote it beautifully and thus the fanfic continues its progress.

A little bit of trivia: even if it's the starting line of the fanfic it was actually the second scenario conceived in the process of creating the story. The first one I can't tell yet.

**On Korra's skills:**

We are aware that the Red Lotus upbringing means that Korra is a more dangerous individual but we are focusing on the character and relationship development. Her skills will definitely be explored, but of course in ways that would benefit the story overall.

**On politics:**

We hope to flesh out the political dynamics of the world without it being too complicated and distracting to the character arcs. We also don't want this fanfic to be too realistic to the point that the charm of the fantasy universe will be stripped away. Book 2 will have more economic issues (one way to make use of my degree *laughs*)

**On romances:**

People are very interested in this! I'll just say that like character arcs, romance might develop as late as Book 3. _Or not._ Maybe. Not specifying the possible pairing/s actually make this fanfic unnoticed by the majority as most fanfic readers crave for their ship when they read a fanfic. We can't submit it to specific blogs or recommend it to popular ship captains!

But we really believe that the story is best experienced as it is, and it's immensely satisfying to see other readers feel the same. We really hope we can get a wider audience with this! *Begging to recommend our fanfic to different sites*

**On this story's potential:**

Because of you and other reviews we have continuously improved our plans so far. We were very surprised that a lot of you are interested in the AU itself apart from the characters. It's really flattering to have all these expectations and the pressure benefits the fanfic. We thank you for the very thorough reviews.

We must stress that some of the predictions or expectations might not be in line with the current plans. Focusing on certain parts might also stall the story/characters from progressing to storylines/relationships/character arcs we aim to develop. BUT we'll do our best to improve things as much as possible.


	8. The Chiblocker Lady

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 8 - The Chiblocker Lady**

* * *

><p><em>Ming never bothered to learn the fire nation operative's name. It did not affect anything; as long as her information was of enough quality. And she had provided so much; the Firelord and his family were creatures of habit. Firelord Zuko meditated late in the evening and Lady Mai began brewing his favorite tea herself when he was close to finishing. She liked to serve it to him before the two retired to bed. Princess Izumi would also be awake, but she worked alone and long into the night while the rest of the household slept. The twelve-year old Iroh would be sleeping, as would the Lady Azula. Before events Ba Sing Se, their plan called for the elimination of just three people. Tonight though, they planned for the execution of the entire household on a sliding scale of importance. The destruction of the direct hereditary line remained the most critical.<em>

_The palace was near silent when they slipped over the wall by the cover of darkness. The Red Lotus moved from shadow to shadow with little more than a whisper of movement. They split up as they neared their targets. Ping and Ming were to take care of the prince; Zaheer, P'Li and Ghazan keeping watch at key points outside. The song of the night fowl was to be the cue to attack; as the prince lost his life, Aki, Ong and Haku would end Izumi. Then they would turn their collective attentions to Zuko, Mai and Azula._

_The moonlight streaming in through the windows was more than enough to discern the slumbering form of Iroh. His breathing was regular and untroubled; if he was lucky, he would never know what even happened to him. Ming strained her ears, waiting for the bird song as Ping drew his knife and crept closer to the prince's bed. The ends of Ming's tentacles writhed; it would be so satisfying to perform this deed too. How she had relished the dying prince in Ba Sing Se; to have that experience again..._

_"Filthy bastards," a voice snarled. Ming's reflexes pushed her out of the way. Blue lightning cut through the space she had occupied seconds before, her movement bringing her around to face her foe. Ping was on the floor and no longer breathing; the strike had caught him, charring his skin in an instant. A second flash of blue light revealed an old woman standing in the darkened hall outside the room. Ming squinted and then flung herself to the side again as another bolt of electricity arced towards her._

_"What's happening?" Iroh was sitting upright, wary eyes looking around the room in panic. Another bolt of electricity; Ming leapt through the open window and into the courtyard outside. Her companions had already abandoned their posts and moved closer to the commotion. Ming ducked down as P'Li concentrated. With a snapping series of pops, the firebender directed a bolt of energy into Iroh's room. The firey blast lit up the darkness, the glare hurting Ming's eyes. To her delight, the explosion reverberated, the walls and roof shaking with the impact. The wooden building caught on fire, and with any luck the blast had consumed both occupants. If not for Zaheer's insistence on stealth, they could have tried this first. For a moment there was near silence, the only sound the crackle of the fires. Ming let herself smile, wanting to applaud her companion._

_The fireball missed her by a hair's breath. A figure burst into the open, still wreathed in smoke, fire blazing in her hands, the woman's face a mask of fury. The Lady Azula snarled as she hurled another fireball at the Red Lotus. Iroh joined her a moment later, launching his own assault. While the Red Lotus outnumbered the two firebenders, their targets more than made up for it with skill and speed. Iroh pinned P'Li down with a constant barrage, leaving her unable to focus her thoughts and retaliate. And yet, Iroh was nothing compared to Azula; she was a nightmare given form, terrifying and monstrous. She was fury incarnate, moving faster than she should be capable of; lightning and flames burst from her hands as she roared fire._

_Ming had almost no water left; she threw as much ice as she could spare to deflect or adsorb Azula's attacks. Zaheer was the furthest away from the fight, his combat skills worthless against the firebenders. Ming threw up another ice wall and bought Ghazan just enough time to form magma blades. He flung them at Azula, the projectiles slicing through the air. A waste; the horrid speed of the princess meant the blades did not even clip her. Another strike, another wall of water, and Ghazan flicked a magma shuriken at Iroh. Ming doubted Azula could move fast enough to intercept that too._

_The shuriken arced towards Iroh and with a clink fell to the ground. Metal glinted in the flickering firelight. Ming whirled, cursing. Lady Mai too? Did age blunt none of this family's skills? Mai's hand glinted in the fire-light, a serated blade between each finger. Ghazan moaned and Ming's stomach lurched as both Izumi and Zuko appeared looking panicked. If these two firebenders caused them so much trouble they could not hope to cope with the Firelord and his wife as well. Was Izumi proficient in a weapon? No matter, the plan had failed. Their companions were either dead or captured. Alarm bells began to sound through-out the palace._

_"We have to retreat," Zaheer shouted as they backed away from the advancing firebender family. Not good. The royal family were backing them into a corner. No water left. No options left. With a grunt, Ghazan concentrated. The palace's central pillar wavered and with a surge it melted, a river of lava now at Ghazan's beck and call. It flowed with deceptive speed between the firebenders and the Red Lotus. Ming had a second to savor the sight of the family uncomfortable at the intense heat for once. Ghazan's barrier blocked the sight as he wrenched it up from the ground. He bought just enough time for P'Li to blast a hole in the outer wall and freedom. The night air was cool after the heat of the magma, but not quiet. The sounds of alarm and commotion filled the air, the noise rippling out from the palace as the flames licked higher and higher. There was no time to lose, no time for bystanders. Those who happened to cross the Red Lotus's path died by fire and lava without another word. The city was too big, their airship too far, the threat of capture and failure nipped at their heels. Yet somehow they escaped, aiming the airship upwards as soon as they were aboard. At least there were no other air infantry mobilized. They might yet escape._

_Ming looked back as Caldera City fell astern. The palace was still aflame, most of the city now illuminated. What had been a crowded airship just a few hours before now only held four members of the Red Lotus. She jumped at a touch on her shoulder, but relaxed, thankful for Ghazan's presence. What now for the Red Lotus?_

* * *

><p>Korra's pony-tail swished from side to side as Naga padded towards Republic City. The hill they descended made for good cover in case anyone was searching for them, but it was far from the most direct route they could take back to the city. How could she know so little about Avatar Aang when it was common knowledge? Not that Bolin could remember when and where he had first heard the story. Wait. He was making a massive assumption. There was no point railing against the impossibility of Korra knowing so little about Aang. For whatever reason she did not and asked questions because she was curious. That was all there was to it. Problem was; just how could she have never heard anything about it? Did her parents, no, her teachers not believe in bed-time stories? Wait. Teachers? How could she have teachers and know nothing about the Avatar Aang and his place in history? Had they not taught her about it? Were they evil? And even if they were, how come no one else told her? Had she been living alone on a glacier? Wait. That was possible. She did say all she ever used to see was blue and white ice.<p>

So someone rescued the beautiful princess when her parents died? Oh, maybe a prince saw her, saw how well the young Korra was coping with her loss and made her promise to come find him when she was all grown up. And that was why the lost water tribe princess was in Republic City; she was looking for the one who encouraged her when she was at her lowest. He would be the one that took her to her teachers, who in turn cared for her ever since. Until the day she could seek out her prince again. No, that was a little terrible; how old would that prince be now? Korra would not want someone that much older than her. Well, he hoped anyway. Unless the prince was the same age as Korra. But then would he be able to comfort her like that? Or rescue her? Oh, hey, maybe her teachers were evil? Maybe they wanted the princess and kidnapped her and tried to ransom her. And it all went wrong when her parents died and everyone forgot about the princess and they left her alone in the cold. And now she had come back to get revenge. She knew her teacher's names and wrote them in a list. And as each died she would cross them off.

Well, a good job she had run into the rugged leading man. He would rather have been the prince, but he would still be important. Together they would seek out her nefarious teachers and bring them to justice. And ensure nothing like it ever happened again to anyone. Then they would return the princess to the throne, so she could be the strongest, most beautiful ruler ever known. And the Avatar would return and be the princess's best friend. Just like Aang and Zuko. And everything would be wonderful. Until the inevitable sequel with it's retcons. And where it turned out the teachers were kind of evil, but they had good intentions gone wrong and now the real evil and shown up and-

Wait. Korra had not said a word since he finished relating everything he knew about Aang. She had thanked him before suggesting Naga had rested enough and they should get back to the city, but said nothing since. Was she thinking about something? Was she upset? Had he made her feel stupid? Maybe it would have been better to not ape so much of the radio presenter voice and just tell her things without the fanciness? No, no. She was deep in thought. Had to be. No need to lose hope.

Bolin tried not to think about how hungry he felt. They would need to get some food soon; after all the excitement, all the running around, he felt ravenous. There should still be noodles at home - as long as Mako had not eaten them - but that was ages away. And then he would need to boil the water and wait for the noodles to soften and then serve them. Maybe he could get a five-fingered discount from the market; a few pieces of fruit should be enough to keep him going. Now he just needed a way to do that without Korra noticing. The thought of food made his stomach churn and the rumble sounded like a roll of thunder in the morning air.

Korra's head turned a little. "Feeling hungry?" she asked.

"Huh?" Bolin said, feigning innocence.

"I heard your stomach growling," she said.

"Not me," Bolin insisted, staring away from his companion.

Korra sighed. "Okay then. It sure sounded like you though. Just thought we could look into getting some food. I'm pretty hungry myself."

Bolin fidgeted. "Sorry Korra; I guess I am hungry."

"Thought so." Was she smiling? "Any idea where the nearest stream is?"

"I think there's one ahead. See?" Bolin pointed past her, his arm grazing against hers for a moment.

"Ah, I see it. Good. I think we can get something to keep us going for now. My treat," Korra said. She turned as she spoke and to Bolin's relief she was grinning. She was not upset. Okay, things were going well. Wait. Just what was Korra going to do for breakfast?

Korra slipped off Naga as they reached the deep and fast flowing stream. Naga lapped at the rush of water and Korra mimicked her as she threw herself onto her stomach. Bolin knelt down and cupper his hands; the water was cold enough to make his teeth hurt. It still felt good though; he had not realised how dehydrated he had gotten. Naga was doing something a little odd. She raised her head at intervals, drinking far more than seemed necessary even for a creature of her size. But she also seemed to break off from drinking every few moments. Wait. Was there something moving in her jaws? Bolin squinted. A frogfish wriggled between Naga's teeth.

"Good girl," Korra said, holding her hands out. Korra patted Naga's nose as she dropped tje fish into Korra's hands. "This is safe to eat right? I've never seen these before. Not really in the mood for a poisonous breakfast." She squinted at the fish. "It doesn't look poisonous."

Bolin shook his head. "They're fine; perfectly safe to eat. Pretty tasty too." He glanced at the polar bear-dog. "That's an awesome trick for Naga to know; she's amazing."

Korra smiled. "That she is. Okay; I think we need some skewers." She turned to Naga. "And if you would be so kind as to get some more?" Naga barked and plunged her head back into the water.

Assembling a collection of thin twigs took no time at all, and Korra seared each fish with a snap of her fingers. The first fish went to Naga; the second to Bolin. He wanted to protest, but by then the scent of cooked frogfish reached him and he could not wait another second. He ate his first fish in four huge bites. "Looks like you enjoyed that," Korra said with a smile as she cooked another two fish; once each for Naga and Bolin. Korra ate with no refined movements, no picking at the food; she munched her own fish down in a few bites much like he did. Of course she did. Both of them had the same amount of food since yesterday; she would be as ravenous as he felt. For his next fish, Bolin wanted to show off. He managed to get half of the skewer in his mouth before biting down. He grinned at her. Korra just glanced at him and with a wry smile gulped an entire fish off her twig. Okay. Korra won.

There were still a large number of fish left by the time Bolin sat back, his stomach full. Korra and Naga looked in a similar level of contentedness; shame to waste Naga's bounty. "Hey, do you think we can take the rest of these home for Mako?"

Korra glanced at the pile. "Sure. Couldn't eat another thing right now," she said patting her stomach. "I think there's a cloth in the saddle-bags. Just wrap them in that."

Bolin could still smell the fish a few hours later when they reached the edge of the forest and the start of Republic City proper. Despite the light sky, the streets were quiet and there were few present to gawp at the polar bear-dog and her riders. The pair had fallen into silence some time before. It unnerved Bolin, though he was at a loss of what he could say. Ah, they had just passed the station. Wait, that meant-

"Hey, Korra?" Bolin pointed past her, towards a flickering flame. "Recognise it? It's Lord Zuko's statue again."

"Oh, hey. Isn't that where we met those jerks this morning?"

"Uh, yeah," Bolin said, feeling a little deflated by the reminder. He rallied. "Even though he's got that statue, Lord Zuko's still around. And he rides on a dragon."

Korra turned back to him. "Dragons still exist?"

"Well, I think so. I've heard they did. And Zuko rides one. Not that I've seen it with my own eyes though."

"Hey, who's the other statue?" Korra pointed to another statue close to Zuko's.

"Ah, that is Master Katara."

"She's beautiful," Korra murmured. Katara was attractive, Bolin could not argue. But she did not hold a candle to Korra.

"Oh. Oh! Did I forget to say before? She was one of Avatar Aang's companions, the one who found him in the icerberg. And she eventually became his wife. And one of the best waterbenders ever. The building behind her is a hospital. She built it in the city's early days." Bolin frowned, digging through his memories. "My Mom used to say she was the head of public health in Republic City for decades and I don't think any other healers came close to her. But she wasn't just a healer; she taught Aang waterbending and fought alongside him." It was a gorgeous rendition of the waterbender. "She's one of my heroes," he added.

"Is... is she still alive?" Korra asked.

"I'm not sure actually. She might be. I heard she went home; back to the South Pole. Not heard anything about her since."

Korra was still staring at the statue. "How... how long would it take to get there?"

"The South Pole?"

"Yeah."

Bolin scratched at his cheek. "Oh, um, I think the fastest I ever heard of anything getting there was with a whole day's travel. But that's only with the fastest ship. Most of the time it'd take, like, three or four days I think."

Korra nodded. "Not too easy to arrange right now," she said.

"Korra? You want to go to the South Pole?"

She shook her head. "Idle thought. Still, wonder if I could ever meet her."

"If you do, please let me come? Okay? Please?"

"Sure thing."

Bolin could hear the smile in her voice as he fought back a grin. "And if you want to know more about the city's history we should ask Mako about it. He used to be seriously devoted to the city library."

Korra blinked. "Wait, he did? I would have never thought that of him."

"Yeah, well. We both had to change when... you know." Bolin ignored the knot that dropped into his stomach at the reminder of his parents. "We had great times back then though. We used to play 'Avatar' all the time."

Korra turned and looked at him, confused. "You played 'Avatar'?"

"Yeah, me, Mako and the other kids from the neighborhood. Mako wanted to be Zuko, and I wanted to be Toph. She's another one of my heroes, and another of Avatar Aang's companions. Thing about her... Wait, I'll tell you after. Where was I? Oh. Well, we never got a chance to be either of them; the big kids always picked those two first. Mako usually got to play Sokka - he was Katara's brother - while I got to be Katara herself. It did make some sense though since we were brothers. And at least we got to be part of Team Avatar. Unlike the kids who got to be Ozai and Azula."

"'Team Avatar', huh?"

"The heroic companions of Avatar Aang." Bolin slipped back into his radio announcer voice, he dropped it as soon as he realised. "It feels kind of silly now, but I didn't want to be Katara. Not really. Toph was so much cooler. But later on, when we were on our own, it kinda made sense, you know? We were just like those two - no parents and no one to rely on half the time except each other. Though their dad was fighting the fire nation the entire time, and I think they used to live with their grandmother. And I know it only sounds cool because all the boring stuff was chopped out and some of it sounds so scary, but I used to wish me and Mako could do something as great as those two. Help the Avatar just like they did."

"Hey, you helped those people before," Korra glanced back and smiled. "That's pretty great."

"Then that'll be the second most proud of thing I've ever done."

"Ooh, so what was the first?"

"Well, there was this girl from the water tribe, who was a fire bender, who me and my brother helped escape from a real nasty gang. You might have heard about it?"

"There is a distinctly familiar feel to that story," Korra admitted.

"And because of that I wound up meeting this awesome, strong, beautiful girl," Bolin grinned as she turned back to him looking flushed. The conversation died. Not good. Silence was bad. Korra had not said anything about the compliment. Had that been a step too far? Time to change subjects. Bolin wracked his mind for a new conversation thread to bring up. Seconds ticked by and he worried more and more. They were getting closer to home now, the narrow alleyways rising up on either side of them. People watched from corners with interested eyes as Naga strode past. Korra tracked a group of children running through the mud without shoes.

"Isn't there anything that could be done for these people?" Korra asked. Difficult question, but at least she was still willing to talk to him.

"I think the city needs more jobs. And less crime. Oh, and better police. And for the Earth Kingdom would stop being so aggressive. Then we might be able to."

Korra hummed to herself. "There are people with a lot of money here, right?"

"Oh, yeah. The people who own the big companies have huge amounts of money," Bolin said.

"So why don't they donate any of that to these people? Surely there has to be a limit to how much they need?"

"Well, some do. I mean, some people - like the Satos - I've heard they donate quite a bit. Remember? Mako mentioned them yesterday - they run shelters for women. So some are good. Others... they kinda don't really care?" Bolin squirmed, feeling more than a little out of his depth.

"Someone should make them realize that they do need to care," Korra replied, an edge entering her voice. "People need to know they shouldn't support leaders who side with the rich. There needs to be someone who could force them to be generous and charitable. And who could punish anyone who resisted."

Bolin frowned. "Isn't that kind of like... well, a dictator?"

"No," Korra sounded frustrated. "Dictators are all bad. It would have to be something else. Maybe..." Her back stiffened. "Maybe someone like the Avatar... whoever she- Or he is."

"Uh, Korra? I've never heard of the Avatar running a country. I mean, some of them did some pretty involved stuff in the past, but nothing like that. And wouldn't the Avatar be a dictator if that happened?" Bolin leant to the side to try and catch Korra's gaze. "That sounds pretty terrifying."

Korra grimaced. "It wouldn't be like that. The... the Avatar could never do that."

"I really hope so," Bolin replied. Was it possible though? All this time he had day-dreamed of the Avatar as a force of good. Was it guaranteed or could the Avatar decide to seize power like that? All the Avatars he knew of had been noble, kind and fought against evil. Was that a constant? Could someone with their own agenda become the Avatar? Who could even hope to oppose the rogue incarnation if that occurred?

Naga's pace slowed as the streets grew more crowded. The market slowed their pace to a crawl when they reached it, people unwilling or just slow to get out of Naga's way. There was less interest here, Naga still a rare sight, but there was no coveting, at least none that Bolin caught as they plodded along. Korra directed Naga without any further guidance from him; it seemed like she had memorized the route back to the shack.

"Bolin," a voice yelled.

Who was that? He looked around as the voice called again. It was a girl. A gorgeous, beautiful girl, with long dark hair, and a dark coat. All this time and just when he had decided he would like to take Korra on a date, now some other beauty decided to pursue him? Wait. Who was that? She looked familiar. Bolin gulped. It was the girl from the docks. It was the owner of the necklace Mako took. Wait. How did she know his name? Why was she here? Did something happen to Mako? Did she bring the police? Bolin twisted around in the saddle and scanned the crowd. No sign of any officers; at least not yet.

"Do you know her?" Korra asked. The girl was fighting against the scrum of people and working her way towards them.

"Uh, kinda. I mean, not really. I mean, I think we should, ah, not head home right now," Bolin said, ducking his head and trying to hide behing Korra.

"But we're almost there," Korra said, looking back at him.

"Well, yes, but, we should run for now," Bolin insisted.

"But why?"

"I'll explain everything in a minute, just get us out of here for now." He stared at her. Korra hung on another second and nodded, turning Naga around. More people scrambled out of the way as the polar bear-dog manuevered around, headed back in the way they came. They were still not moving fast. "Okay, so, this is one of those things I'm not so proud of. Um. That girl? We kinda stole some of her stuff. And she got pretty mad and chased us." Bolin said, trying to locate the girl in the sea of people. He turned back to find Korra glaring at him.

"You did what?" She scowled at him.

"I know. It's awful and terrible, but we need to survive somehow. And we were going to return her stuff. Most of it. I mean, we were planning on giving her back everything we took. Except for the money. Okay, that didn't sound so good. But we wanted to give her it back. Only now she's somehow found me. Somehow."

Naga yelped, her back arching. Bolin looked around, a movement catching his eye. The girl was hanging onto the polar bear-dog's tail, lying face down in the mud. Naga stumbled to a halt and the girl looked up. "Stop," she yelled. "Bolin - it's Mako. He needs your help."

* * *

><p>Korra pulled back on the reins, twisting around and looking past the cowering Bolin. The girl got to her feet and swiped at the patches of mud now covering large sections of her coat. "Finally," she said. "You are Bolin right?" She caught Korra's eye for a second before turning her attention to her companion. Bolin turned and gave a nervous nod. "You need to hurry. There's a bender gang at your house and they're angry at Mako. I was looking for the police but they aren't any here, and its going to take ages to get them, and I saw you and-." She broke off and took a deep breath. "Thank goodness you're here. Mako needs your help."<p>

Bolin took a shuddering breath and looked at the girl. "How did you know I'm his brother?" he asked.

"The er... dog?" Asami said, pointing at Naga. Okay, that made no sense. How was Bolin associated with Naga?

"Um, the bender gang," Bolin asked. "Did they have nose rings?"

"No."

"Were they bald women with Dragonbird tattoos?"

"No."

"There... there wasn't like a guy..." Bolin glanced at the girl, twitched and carried on. "A guy in a white suit, wearing a fedora?" Bolin sounded like he was almost pleading. "No one like that, right?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean there is a guy in white with seven firebenders."

Bolin shivered. "I hope we're not too late then."

"Bad?" Korra asked.

"Super bad. Probably not all firebenders, but-"

Korra shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Let's go." She looked down at the girl. "Come on, you can ride this us."

The girl nodded. She ignored Bolin's hand and scrambled up onto the polar bear dog herself. Korra flicked the reins and Naga turned again. She bounded forward, not concerned for those who did not get out of the way quick enough. Who was the girl? She looked healthier than anyone she had seen here; she wore make-up and her hair shone like silk. What was she doing here, or perhaps how could she live here and look that good?

Mako was on the ground when they arrived. Clumps of dirt and stone rained down onto him while a small crowd looked on.

"Stop this immediately," Korra yelled. The crowd looked around at their approach, and shuffled out of the way as the gang glanced at the newcomers with disinterest.

"Bolin," Mako struggled to speak. "No," he moaned. "Get out of here."

"Oh, now, this is interesting," the man in the white suit said. "Mako's fine figure of a girlfriend has brought the reinforcements. Not sure that Bolin here counts as reinforcements. Oh and you brought another earthbender. Well, I feel suitably terrified. What do you guys think?" The gang's laughter was grating and infuriating. "You should have listened to Mako though. Not sure I could have cared enough to come after you too. And not after we get done with Mako here; he was already a lost cause. But now you have so graciously returned, well, I think you can help with Mako's little financial problem. And his repayment plan."

"Bolin take Naga and get out of here, I'll take care of these guys." Korra slid off the saddle. This would be different. Four at once? Some days she could cope, other days not so much. Seven opponents had never been an option for a challenge before. She glanced back. "Naga: go. Get them out of here now."

"No," Bolin said, and Korra winced at the sound of his feet hitting the ground. "I'm not leaving you or Mako. We're doing this together." He turned back towards Naga and whispered down to his chest. Pabu's head popped out of Bolin's jacket and the fire ferret skipped across the ground, to perch on Naga's back. "Um, er, lady? Please look after Pabu for me? Naga'll keep you both safe. Promise. Least I can do for finding me."

"Bolin, Korra, just go." Mako's eyes widened. "Wait, is that... Asami?"

The man in the white suit sighed. "As touching as this all is, this has gotten so very, very boring. I think we have wasted enough time here, don't you, boys? Let's take care of the situation now, shall we?"

The gang members straightened and advanced towards Korra. A blast of flame engulfed the two nearest Mako; they fell to the ground, clothing and skin singed. He grimaced with the exertion and tried to get back up to his feet as another two members of the gang prepared to strike. Korra lashed fire across the ground, super-heating the mud. Both men cried out in pain and fell, rolling away from the scorching ground, faces contorted in pain. A movement drew her attention. It seemed there were two waterbenders in the gang. They both drew water whips from the flasks on their waists and struck past Korra, aiming for Bolin. He dodged the first attack, but the second slammed into his stomach and he grunted in pain. As he fell, Korra punched a fireball at the bender. He was too good to let that hinder him; an ice shield was between them in a fraction of a second.

"Get up, you useless benders," the leader was yelling as he threw a fireball towards Korra. "Oh, so you thought dressing up a firebender as an earthbender was going to help? Bolin you are pathetic," the man yelled. He was good, but nothing like as fast as P'Li. Korra side-stepped the blast without problem. The two earthbenders Mako attacked before were now getting back up. Five active opponents. Still too many. Who to choose? How long would the two firebenders be down?

Bolin screamed in pain, the noise dragging Korra's head around. One of the waterbenders pulled his whip back for another strike. There was a blur of motion; the girl was right beside the waterbender, concentrating hard. She stabbed into him with her finger tips, striking at specific points across his back. The man's arms went limp, and he frowned as they hung by his sides. The girl swept his legs out from under him and caught the man under the chin with her boot. Korra gaped. What had she just done? Bolin took the opportunity to fling a rock at the other waterbender, his attention still fixed on Korra. The man slumped to the ground alongside his companion. Two more down. But now the firebenders had gotten onto their knees and sent another volley of fireballs. This was not the time to get distracted.

Korra, Bolin and the girl dodged. Bolin ripped a rock from the ground and sent it spinning towards the benders as the girl sprinted at the nearest firebender. She struck for those same points on the man's back and like the waterbender, this man's arms went limp. Four to go. Korra ran at the nearest building, running up the wall and pushing off. She pivoted in the air, drawing in a deep breath as she punched as much fire as she could towards the ground. The fireball slammed down close to the benders and blew them away from each other. Korra frowned. The group's leader was doing something unusual, his hands and arms moving in a formation she had never seen before.

One of the earthbenders was flat on his back after the blast and the other's pants were on fire. The man dropped to the ground and batted at his clothes. With a swift kick, Korra rendered him unconscious and Bolin scooped mud across his prone form to extinguish the flames. The final bender still upright backed away towards the leader.

The man in white was smiling, so sure of himself, still certain he was in control. His hands completed the strange sequence and he pointed forwards. Lightning arced from his fingertips. "Move," Korra yelled, flinging herself to the side, trusting everyone else to do the same. Lightning was one of the few techniques never taught to her. She had learned of it, but it was not something P'Li wanted or was able to teach. Then again, neither was the popping energy blast she could perform. Korra needed to incapacitate the lightningbender and fast. She pushed herself up from the ground and sprinted towards the man. He wasted no time in channeling another lightning strike. Need to move faster. Korra let her feet slide out from under her as she skidded towards him, a wave of flames now bursting into existence on the soles of his feet. The electricity died in his hands as he grimaced in pain and dropped to the ground. Now to get rid of the other bender. Korra smirked as she readied the fireball, surprised when a small rock smacked into the bender's head. Turning back, Bolin winked as the man crumpled to the ground.

"Hey, is that the best you can do?" Korra asked the still writhing leader. "I expected more out of you. How about another round?"

"Oh... oh no," Bolin said behind her. There was smoke in the air and a sensation of heat. Korra turned; the shack was on fire.

* * *

><p>Asami gasped. A gaping hole in the front wall of the shack revealed the flaming interior. Flickering flames licked at the vines wrapped around the tree behind the home. Bile rose in her throat and she turned away, not wanting to watch another home destroyed by firebenders. Asami breathed as deep as she could, keeping a slow, steady rhythm as she waited for the nausea to pass. Which one of the firebenders was responsible? One of the gang, or had it been the girl? Odd to reflect there were fewer firebenders than she assumed. It would still have been fool-hardy to try and defend against them all. If she had not found Bolin and the girl- Asami shook her head. Best not to contemplate it.<p>

"The tree, we need to save the tree," Bolin shouted. He planted his feet and began sweeping mud towards the flaming building and the tree. Asami stumbled a little as she moved further away; the whole ground moving beneath her feet as it flowed towards Bolin and the fire. A few waterbenders stepped from the crowd and soon arcs of water flew over Asami's head. It did not last long though, the volunteers soon stopped bending as they looked downcast. Most wandered away a few moments later. Asami chanced a look back. The fire was gone, but it had become too advanced, the wood of the shack too dry. Mud-streaked fragments of wood and a blackened, fire-damaged tree was all that remained.

"Mako... our home," Bolin said, hugging his brother who did not seem to react.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Are you okay though?" Bolin released his brother and took a step back. "What happened? Why was Shin attacking you?" He glanced at Asami. "Er. Why is she here? How did she find you? I've only been gone a few hours and now this."

"Well- Wait, what happened to you? I thought you'd be here when I got back. The black eye and busted nose make me think you've been doing something," Mako asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Ah, this, it's nothing. I can explain. I mean, I'll tell you later."

Mako frowned. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"Nothing wrong, I swear," Bolin said holding up his hands. "And, Mako? You don't look in the best of states either." Bolin frowned. "Hey, I've never seen you wear those clothes before. Where did they come from? And why did the boss attack you?"

Mako waved Bolin's questions away. "Long story. I'll explain when there are less people around," Mako glanced around at the people still present. "However, you-"

"I really didn't do anything wrong. Ask Korra if you don't believe me. I did a brave thing. I mean, Yang came by after you were gone." Bolin kept talking despite the sharp breath Mako took. "And he wanted help getting some refugees into the city. And that got a little complicated-"

"You did what?" Mako demanded.

"It was fine. And Korra was seriously awesome; I think she could teach you some firebending tricks."

"Bolin, you put her in danger. Everything Yang does is dangerous."

"But we were helping people. They needed our help."

Asami resisted the urge to sigh as the brothers squabbled. Life had been so easy a few days before. Maybe she should have not cared so much about the quality control. Just stayed in that evening, not gotten mugged and not be standing in the middle of a slum watching these two argue. The girl - Korra - was glaring at the house. "It's not your fault," Asami said.

Korra shook her head. "I know. But I can still think I should punish the culprits," she said, cracking her knuckles. Korra was about to say something else when a siren cut through the air. Police. Oh no. So. Not only had Mako stolen her necklace and she had not told her father, her had also been car stolen. Then she bailed Mako out of jail, fed and clothed him, brought him to his home, and saved him from the criminal elements. And to cap it all off, it looked like she was about to picked up for her role in a brawl.

Mako and Bolin stopped arguing. "Run," they yelled in unison.

Korra watched them as they panicked. "Hey, don't worry. I dealt with those guys before, remember?"

"No, no, no," Bolin said. "I think we've caused quite enough trouble for one week." He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her along with him. No one was paying any attention to Asami; it would be so easy to slip away right now. She put her hands in her pockets, ready to at least try and get out of here with as much casual disinterest as she could muster. Her fingers knocked against something bulky, and solid. She had forgotten about that; she needed to give it back. No time; best try and keep up with them. Asami ran after the others. Naga was just ahead of her, the fire ferret still perched on her back as the three benders ahead weaved up and down the alleyways.

The ground was terrible to run on. She almost tripped so many times on the trash and debris. And at one point on what had looked an awful lot like a human body, half submerged in the mud. There were still people here, sleeping pressed against the wall, or staring at the group as they ran past with disinterest. How much of a regular occurence was this kind of thing? Her heart hammered against her ribs. But she could not stop. Could not face another visit to that police station, another simpering conversation with Jin. And that was before the social fall out when her so called friends get hold of this tidbit of gossip. Asami forced herself to keep going.

"Hide," Mako yelled. He grabbed Naga's reins, the movement panicked the polar bear dog.

"What do you think you're doing?" Korra yelled.

"Keeping you from getting found," he hissed. "Naga is what everyone is looking for. Now get her into that gap." He pointed at a narrow space between two buildings; just about big enough for Naga. Just about. Korra soothed her pet and cast some annoyed glares at Mako. With a nervous look, Naga slipped between the buildings. Mako pressed himself against the wall, looking up, waiting. Asami needed no encouragement to stand still, grateful for the chance to pause, the chance to breath again. She wheezed as she bent over, trying to catch her breath. Too warm. Her fingers clutched at her collar, trying to move it away from her neck. She could just get rid of it; one coat was the least of her worries. No; she needed to try and not drawn any more attention; Mako had said so. Yes, because running was such a good way to be subtle.

Bolin's words sounded distant, unimportant when he spoke, but she forced herself to look as well. "Is that a flying bison?" he asked. "I've never seen one this close before." Bolin took one step from the wall before Mako grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Looks like it," Mako said. The bison flew on without stopping towards the North. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Looks like they didn't see us. "Okay, we need to plan our next move. Currently Korra is wanted by the police and they are mentioning Naga in the broadcast."

Korra frowned. "Loads of people have seen Naga already."

"Yeah, but that was before they heard you were dangerous. At least they got some things wrong; they're reporting you're a waterbender."

Asami risked straightetning up, catching an odd look in Korra's eye at Mako's words. "We should probably keep moving then," Asami said. The others took that as their cue and started running again. Oh, the temptation to yell that was not what she meant. Tempting but not enough air in her lungs. With a grimace Asami ran after them hoping they could get to her car, or just find somewhere secluded to shelter. Somewhere she could sit and rest and then worry about sneaking around.

A few blocks distant, Mako called a halt again, and Asami slumped against the wall, resisting the urge to just sink down and sit in the mud. How come no one else was out of breath? Not Mako, not Bolin, not Korra. Even Naga seemed unfazed.

"Mako," she wheezed, closing her eyes for a moment. "You... forgot... this," she said as she tugged the photo frame out of her pocket and held it out.

"Is that?" Bolin asked. "It is. Oh. Wow. Thank you, er, Asami?" Bolin kissed the picture again and again. He stopped when he noticed the others watching him. "Oh, sorry." He turned to her. "It was Asami wasn't it? Thank you." He smiled.

"Yes," said Asami, her breathing coming under her control again. "And no problem."

"That was some amazing stuff you did back there. Was that... ah, chi-blocking?" Bolin asked.

Asami nodded. "It was pretty incredible," Korra added.

"Been training in it for... years," Asami said. "Never... thought it would... come in handy like that." Too much speech. She breathed deep again, trying to get more air into her lungs.

"I'm... It's... it's lucky for us you didn't do that the first time we met." Mako said, looking embarrassed.

Asami looked up at him. "Yeah." Her lungs felt scratchy. "Yeah you were lucky. Lucky you could... run that fast and I was too angry to consider... doing that." She winked despite the tightness of her chest. Mako looked flustered, Asami wanted to laugh but wound up spluttering.

"What now?" Korra asked.

"Well, you could come back to my house?" Asami glanced at them all in turn once her breathing was back under control. "There's a nurse there who could take a look at your injuries," she added.

"Thanks for the offer, but I owe you too much already. Maybe take Korra back with you. We can handle ourselves," Mako said as he shifted his feet.

"Mako, are you incapable of remembering anything from yesterday? Do not talk about me as if I am not here." Korra glared at him. "And really? You still think I am incapable of taking care of myself?"

Mako fidgeted. "No. I mean, yes I think you can take care of yourself, but that's no, not the reason."

"Okay." Asami said as she stood up, her breathing steadier. "I think it's much simpler if you all come with me. No objections. Mako; you're hurt. Again. Bolin was it? Someone really should take a look at your eye. And your nose. Korra? You are... um." Asami blinked. "Perfect." Her eyes widened. "I mean. You don't look injured at all. But you are all muddy. Come with us and I'll get everyone some clean clothes and food." She looked at Korra. "You will come with us, right?"

"Yeah... Hey, um, this is going to sound like a weird question but... Is Asami a popular name here?"

Asami frowned. "I guess so. My dad employees a few people with same name as me." She glanced at Mako who shrugged. "Probably as many Asamis in the city as there are Korras. Why do you ask?"

Korra shook her head. "Doesn't matter." She sighed as she looked down at her mud-streaked clothing. "I guess I'll come too."

Great," Asami smiled. "You'll all be my honoured guests."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks to all the reviewers :D You push us to improve the story. <strong>

**Sanctum:**

RE: Kradeiz

I also was also a little disappointed Meelo was still around - though not to worry he's getting far less focus than the series gave him.

**Puffie:**

On Touga:

He's an original character. The thing with writing a story is that you can't just call people "that man" or "the policewoman" so there's a lot of OC' names are taken from the generic baby names websites, but most of them are stock names/Asian words we know.

On hawks:

They are actual birds like Hawky. What we meant about crossing paths is that a hawk returned to Zaheer bearing a new message before one of this hawks arrived in RC.

On Meelo:

Sadly I don't want to omit any of Tenzin's children, but we're telling you now his role is nothing more of a cameo. We hate Meelo.

On the Red Lotus:

We'll see more of them, their motivations, their history and how they interacted with Korra.


	9. Uncharted Territory

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 9: Uncharted Territory**

* * *

><p><em>"Ghazan."<em>

_The earthbender looked up; the voice was low and sounded annoyed. "Ming," he said in a lazy drawl. The waterbender halted outside the entrance to his tent and glared at him._

_"You need to do something about the brat," she said._

_Ghazan stifled a yawn and sat upright. "What did you do?"_

_"That's right, assume I'm at fault here. Do you have any idea how ruinous your teachings have been? She treats waterbending like earthbending," Ming said. Even the words seemed distasteful to her._

_Ghazan tried to suppress a smile. "I apologise Ming." He coughed. "What would you like me to do with the Avatar and what was the incident that lead to your coming here?"_

_"I told her to stop flinging lumps of ice around like they were rocks. Then I demonstrated an ice spike. Now she won't stop crying." Ming looked exasperated, seeming unconcerned about the child she left behind._

_"When you say you demonstrated an ice spike; just what did you do?" Ghazan tilted his head._

_Ming's tentacles writhed. "I demonstrated how one produced it. And how useful they could be."_

_"And you did this how?"_

_"I used it on an otter penguin."_

_Ghazan was speechless for a moment. "You killed an otter penguin?" Ming nodded. "Why would you do that?"_

_"She is a weapon, Ghazan. Her purpose is to kill. If she cannot cope with one otter penguin bleeding, how is she going to assassinate anyone? I felt it time to introduce her to death."_

_"The girl has never seen blood before and you decide to skewer an otter penguin right in front of her?" Ghazan growled; Ming shrugged. "They are one of her favorite animals."_

_"Oh, they are?" Ming asked in a dismissive tone. "Her reaction is still unnecessary. Deal with it."_

_"Where is she?" Ghazan asked._

_"Over-" Ming cut herself off as she looked back the way she came. A thick fog had descended on the camp, the visibility reduced to almost nothing. "-there," she finished, her voice weaker._

_Ghazan sighed as he got to his feet. "We need to find her."_

_Ming gestured and the fog retreating from her movements. "This way. I want nothing more to do with her when we find her. At least for today."_

_Ghazan grumbled a response under his breath as Ming concentrated and pushed the fog further back. There was no sign of Korra. "Where is she?"_

_"If I knew that then I would haver taken you to her," Ming snapped._

_"Korra," he yelled. Ming added to his shout and they listened for a response. Nothing. "What have you done?"_

_Ming scowled. "She cannot have gone far. We will search the area; go and get Zaheer and P'Li. I'll wait in case she comes back."_

_The sun was close to it's zenith when the fog disipated. The wind had picked up and though it added to the unpleasant chill, it at least increased visibility. To Ghazan's frustration it prevented the badgerhounds were unable to even begin tracking Korra. The Red Lotus surveyed the wilderness, each now with a hawk perched on their shoulder._

_"How could she have gone so far?" Ming seethed._

_Ghazan sighed. "It's possible she caught hold of a living otter penguin." Ghazan stared at Ming as he spoke. "She could have ridden on that."_

_P'Li's expression shifted from a heavy frown to wide-eyed suprise. "She rides on the penguins?" she asked._

_Ghazan nodded. "She loves it. Probably contributed to why she ran off." He glared at Ming._

_"Interesting," Zaheer murmured. Ming ignored him._

_"Look; how was I to know that she liked the wretched creatures? If I knew she was so precious about one life I would not have done it. I pushed her too far, I understand that now. So let's find her before someone else does."_

_"Ming; I feel we need to rework the rules for a while. It is clear that the Avatar cannot be easily pushed into harming animals. Please bear this in mind for future training," P'Li said, her voice low._

_"Yes, yes. Let's focus on finding her first," Ming replied._

_"Then split up and search individually until night-fall. Say whatever is necessary to convince Korra to return with you. Do not attempt to threaten her," Zaheer said with a frown in Ming's direction._

_Ming's whole body tensed. "Fine. It will all be sunshine and rainbows if I find her first." Her tentacles writhed in the air and she compacted a section of snow into a block of ice._

_"Ming; please. Try to travel somewhat more discreetly?" Zaheer asked. The waterbender sighed and shattered the block with a flick of her tentacle. She did not turn around and began stalking away. "We have some time before the sun-sets. Let us begin," Zaheer added._

* * *

><p><em>Ghazan sank to the ground as he leant back against a snow drift. Hours and hours of searching and calling, and all he had to show for it was a sore throat. The sun lay low on the horizon; it would start to get much colder soon. Maybe one of the others had found Korra? It was possible, though the absence of a hawk informing him of that suggested otherwise. How much longer should they continue looking? Would she be capable of sheltering or surviving the cold out here? Ghazan took one last look around the tundra. Ahead, almost obscured by the uneven terrain was the start of a snow tunnel. It cut down into the snow and pushed deep into the ice. Ghazan traced the tunnel; what had looked like a low rise before was in fact a small and ill-formed igloo. He let out a shuddering sigh of relief even as the chill breeze made him shiver.<em>

_"Korra," he called out. "It's me, Ghazan."_

_For a moment nothing happened. Had Korra made the igloo and then departed? Was this someone else's work? A worrying thought; someone else so close to their base. He almost shifted to a combat stance as the igloo wall shifted. One ice-block juddered and withdrew inside; Korra peered through the resulting gap looking anxious. Ghazan crouched down beside her._

_"I got lost," she said, fidgeting and avoiding his gaze._

_Ghazan almost laughed. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "Bet you're hungry though." Korra nodded. "Shall we go back?"_

_Korra dithered. "Are they angry?"_

_Ming yes, Zaheer and P'Li? No. "No. They're worried more than anything. Right now they should be making your dinner. We're having your favorite tonight; seaweed noodles."_

_Korra's eyes brightened at his words. There was a curious bark as she opened her mouth. A polar bear pup peered at him from around her body. Korra jumped and patted her companion. "No, Naga. You're meant to hide for now. Until we know it's okay." She glanced at Ghazan. "Um... Can she come too?"_

_The polar bear-dog stared at him, panting. "Her name is Naga?" Korra nodded. "Does she not have a mother she needs to get back to?"_

_Korra shook her head. "Her mommy got eaten by a dragonshark. So she's just like me," Korra said. She put her arms around the creature. "She was crying so I gave her a big hug and told her everything would be okay." Naga licked Korra's face and she giggled. "She did that before too. It tickles." Korra looked at him. "And now we're friends."_

_"Korra," he began, trying not to get distracted by the polar bear pup's enormous eyes. While it was cute like this, the pup would grow a surprising amount. And become far more dangerous. Where did she even find the creature? "That's a polar bear dog; they're dangerous wild animals. They eat people."_

_"Naga would never do that," Korra insisted._

_"You don't know that. Eventually she'll get so big she could swallow you in one bite." An exaggeration, but an effective implication._

_Korra shook her head. "No; she only eats fish."_

_Ghazan sighed. "Okay. We'll go ask Zaheer. But you have to be prepared in case he says no."_

_Korra narrowed her eyes. "If he doesn't let me keep Naga, I'm going to live here with her." With a flick of her wrists, the igloo began to solidify._

_"Okay, okay," Ghazan said. "I'll talk to Zaheer and convince him." What harm could one pet do? It should be able to feed itself after all - in doing so it would not be a drain on their supplies. There was the risk of something as dangerous as this close by, but that at least they could wait until later._

_Ghazan murmured to his hawk; it flew back towards the camp with a screech. "Come on then you two." How was he going to explain or justify this? Ming would need to eradicate the tracks and the igloo as soon as possible. The other members of the Red Lotus waited at the camp entrance; had they conceded first or where they closer by? No matter. P'Li was the first to move; she crouched down beside Korra. "Are you okay?" she asked. Korra nodded._

_"You seem to have gained a companion," Zaheer observed._

_"Uh-huh," Korra nodded. "She's called Naga and she's my friend." Her gaze flicked to Ming. "If you do anything to her I'll burn all your clothes off and you'll be all cold."_

_Ming looked furious, her tentacles coiling and uncoiling at her side; she was about ready to go into an attack stance. Zaheer's touch on her shoulder startled her, his words a moment later calming her. Zaheer stared at Ghazan in expectation. Ghazan licked his lips._

_"She, ah, said she didn't want to come back. Without Naga I mean."_

_"And you let her get away with that?" Ming scowled._

_"Ming," Zaheer said with a warning note in his voice._

_She glared at him and ignored the threat. "Next she'll want a walrus dog. Then a beluga dog. Then we may as well resign ourselves to being an arctic zoo."_

_Korra looked somewhat impressed with the idea, but soon realized Ming was not advocating for it._

_"Zaheer?" P'Li asked. "I can't see there being a problem with allowing the pup to stay. At least for now. Though there remains the issue of Ghazan's attitude in this incident."_

_"I concur," Zaheer said._

_"What was I supposed to do? I found her and I brought her back," Ghazan felt tired._

_"I'm still against this; the creature will be a distraction," Ming spat._

_"No. No, it will not. We will adapt as the situation dictates," Zaheer said. "And do not forget your part in this development." Ming clicked her tongue. "Korra?" She blinked up at Zaheer. "Adult polar bear dogs are dangerous predators when provoked. There is a risk that Naga could injure you in the future. If she does, then we will have no choice but to dispose of her."_

_Korra looked shocked and wrapped her arms around Naga. "But-"_

_Zaheer held his hand up. "There will be no debate on this issue, Korra. If she injures you she will not be allowed to remain. However, I am prepared to attempt to train Naga to not injure any of us if you will promise me something."_

_"O...okay," Korra said, squirming._

_"You must promise to help teach Naga how to behave. A well behaved, well trained pet will not attack it's owner. You must be an example to Naga."_

_Korra smiled. "I can do that."_

_"Good. Then you must be a good girl who listens to and respects her teachers. You will not disobey or talk back to any of us from now on. You will not run from the compound for any reason. Is that clear?" Korra nodded. "If you can promise us these things, then you may keep Naga."_

_"I... promise," Korra said in a solemn voice, and Ghazan could not stop his smile. Ming muttered something and stalked away._

* * *

><p>"Oh wow. This is your Satomobile?" Bolin gawped at the parked vehicle. Asami nodded. "This is a really nice one. I always wanted this model."<p>

"Thank you," Asami said with a frown. "But let's get out of here before we start discussing cars." She glanced up and down the street. "I'm thinking the best plan is to head for the docks," she said. Her gaze drifted to Naga. "Though it's going to take a while to walk. We can't exactly get Naga in the car."

"Don't worry about it," Korra said, patting Naga's flank. "She's fast." A boast she had made before.

Asami looked dubious. "If you're sure; I won't go too fast then."

The car rumbled into life with a sound Korra had heard aped fourteen years ago. Was Asami the same girl? Right there in front of her? Asami looked back and met her gaze as Korra realized she was staring at her. Her latest acquaintance smiled and waved her forward as the Satomobile set off. With a flick of the reins Korra urged Naga forward and after the others. The trio in the car ahead were discussing something, the words lost in the roar of the Satomobile engine. It felt a little isolated being apart from them, but they had no choice.

A few minutes and some turns later and Korra found herself back on the sea front. Just ahead was what looked a lot like the beach she had arrived on. For a moment it seemed as if Asami was heading for it, but she veered off, following a path between rows and rows of boats. There was an odd feeling of exposure here. There was nowhere to hide out away from the city like this. Korra tried to ignore the sensation of someone watching her.

Ahead Asami stopped and parked the car. She gestured at one boat; Bolin and Mako clambered aboard it.

"You were right," Asami said as she retrieved a bag from the back of the car, Naga panting beside her as Korra slid from her pet's back.

"Huh?" Korra asked.

"Naga; she was fast. What's the fastest she's gone?" Asami was studying the polar bear dog with interest.

"Not sure. We could try racing at some point I guess. Not here though," Korra said.

"Oh, no. Not here. At least not so publically. I like the idea though," she said. Asami fell silent, shifting from one foot to the other. "I should... get the boat ready," she said and clambered aboard. Korra frowned; the craft did not look like it would be at all practical for fishing. She blinked. It did not even have sails and Asami was not capable of waterbending; at least not as far as she knew. How would the boat even move? Was this like the Satomobile? Asami paused as she untied another rope. "Korra?"

"Yes?" she replied, blinking.

"Mako said you only arrived in the city the other day. And that you don't know your way around very well just yet?" Asami coiled the rope onto the deck.

"Y-yeah, I'm new." Korra smiled. Asami looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I... wound up leaving home," she continued, the excuse sounded hollow.

Asami nodded. She vanished out of sight for a moment and reappeared further down the boat. "Whereabouts are you from?"

Korra blinked. Why would Asami ask that? Did it matter to her? Could she trust her? Korra had known her for under an hour now, but she seemed well acquainted with Mako. Despite the fact - if Korra understood this right - he had stolen from her the day before Korra arrived. Was there something more between them? That would be more than a little strange if that was how they met. But was that any different to the time Korra spent with Bolin, despite his few lies and his role in that same theft? But Korra was still unclear on just who Asami was; not least because she could chiblock. Zaheer was the only person Korra had ever seen do that.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Asami's voice made her jump. Her mind had drifted after the question.

Korra shook her head. "It's... it's okay. North. I'm from... somewhere up North." Not a lie; not quite. Korra had no idea if the region had a name.

Asami seemed to accept the answer. "What brought you here specifically?"

"I was looking for... someone." Two people. "And I just found out he's been dead for years." The other was alive. She had to be. Maybe she was standing right there; just because there were many Asamis did not mean this was not the one she was after.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. A family member?" Asami asked. She paused near the gangplank.

"Little bit more complicated," Korra grinned. How to even begin to explain her thoughts, her fear, her past, what she was?

Asami nodded. "Well, if you do want anyone to talk to... Look I know we've only just met, but I'm willing to listen if you need someone. Well, someone who isn't them." She flicked her gaze towards Bolin and Mako.

"T-thank you," Korra said. The offer was tempting. She could blurt it all out here; ask if Asami had once spent some time in the North. If she remembered a girl with a polar bear pup. Lay the matter to rest.

"Korra?" Asami asked.

"Sorry," Korra replied and forced a smile. "Just zoning out. Didn't get much sleep last night," she added. The thought of stepping onto the boat made her nervous; what would happen next if she went too? And if she did not; where would she sleep later on? The brother's shack was gone - by her hand or one of the other firebenders. Strange. She had been here so little time and she was already thinking about things like that. The thought had not even crossed her mind when she arrive, but now seclusion and safety felt vital. Asami seemed to offer it, despite the discomfort it would pose. Sharing a room with Asami, Bolin and Mako would be so cramped. Naga would have to sleep outside again though. But there was a curious warmth in the idea and it felt worth the risk. For the first time she would be close to other people; how different would it be to wake in the dead of night and find she was not alone?

Naga nuzzled her and Korra stared at her companion. Naga was the key. Naga had enabled her to cover enough distance to meet that Asami in the past. She was also the way that this Asami met her in the present. Naga lead her to Asamis it seemed; whether the same or a different one. Korra blinked. Right now it made the most sense to go with Asami. People were looking for her and they were telling people about Naga. She needed to keep the polar bear dog out of sight; Asami offered a way to do so.

"Come on, girl," Korra said as she walked up the gangplank.

* * *

><p>Bolin leant forward as the rush of wind ruffled his hair. "So, Miss Asami. How did you and my brother meet? Again. Um..." Maybe this was not the most sensible way to start a conversation. Start over. "I am so sorry we mugged you. Really. We were going to give you it back. Mostly. Once we figured out where you lived. And how to not have you report us to the police. Um."<p>

"Bolin-" Mako began.

"It's okay," Asami called over her shoulder. "And to answer your question, I met Mako in the police station after I reported his... crime. When they arrested him, I got him out of jail."

"That's amazingly generous of you- Wait, the cops picked you up for the mugging?" he asked Mako. He blinked, nervous. If they went after Mako for that, then what would they do if anyone figured out his role in Yang and Li's plan?

"It's not the first time they've taken me in," Mako said.

"I know that, but that was always when you did the really dumb stuff and antagonized them. I can't believe they just got you for the mugging." He glanced at Asami. "Sorry again."

Asami sighed. "They arrested him for fighting in bending pits not for mugging me."

"He what?" Bolin exclaimed as Mako scowled at Asami. "Why were you doing that?"

"We need the money, Bolin. It pays really well. And I've never lost like that before."

"Wait. You've done this before? And never told me?" Bolin could feel his blood boiling.

"Sort of. I mean, I participated in a few rounds before. My opponents were always weak and they never got a hit in. The one from the other day though; she was a high-ranked earthbender and she just floored me."

"Next time... if you ever try that again; I'm coming with you."

"He's not doing it again," Asami interjected. "If he does, there is no way I'm getting him out of jail again." They fell into silence as the car pulled up at the dock. "Okay, onto the boat with you two. I'm going to get us ready to go."

"Hey, I could-" Bolin began.

Asami shook her head. "Look after your brother please." Mako winced as he stood up.

The yacht was larger than their former home; all wood panelling and soft seats. Bolin caught snatches of Asami and Korra's conversation between the screams of gulls. Korra's long pauses were worrying; it was a huge relief when she walked up the gangplank. The boat swayed as Naga scrambled onto the back.

"Korra," Bolin said, still excited by the boat. He stopped dead as he noticed her pensive expression. "You okay?"

"Fine, fine," she said. "Sorry. Still doing okay?" She smiled.

"I'm good. But seriously; have you ever been on a boat like this before? It's like nothing I've seen before," Bolin said.

"I think I've only been on a boat once," Korra replied and glanced around as Asami joined them.

"Is that when you left the North?" she asked as she busied herself with the yacht's helm.

"Actually it was when I went there," Korra replied.

"So how did you get here?" Mako spoke up from his slumped position on the seats.

"Naga; she can swim really well."

"From the North? Well I suppose it depends how far you did come. If you mean the far North that would have taken days." He looked at her with suspicion.

Korra shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me; not my problem."

"Okay. But I don't know what you've told Bolin in the last day or so," Mako said. "Just where are you from? Sure; Northern Water Tribe, but whereabouts?"

"Mako," Asami warned. "I'm not sure Korra wants to discuss her past like that. So please be considerate." Asami revved the engine and they pulled out into the bay.

Mako looked nonplussed, but nodded. Bolin sank onto the seat beside Mako, his brother's tension palpable. Could Asami be ferrying them right to the cops? Was this some sting after the police found out about his actions last night? They were still close to the dock; he could manage to swim to dry land without too much trouble. How bad had that idea been? Why had Yang's plan had to sound good at any point? No. It was never good to think bad of someone. Not least someone who wanted to help his brother. Maybe she would take them somewhere nice? She had to be rich; with that car, this yacht, those fancy - if mud spattered - clothes. Well, assuming those did belong to her. She could have stolen the Satomobile and stolen this yacht. She could be like Annie Lupin; that serial about the lady thief. Bolin glanced at Asami and flushed. The lady thief was somewhat notorious for losing her clothes at the drop of a hat if it would help matters. And just because she could or wanted to. Not that he would object to Asami taking all her clothes off.

His face was on fire and Bolin coughed/ No, better to be more trusting. Maybe it would be like that other serial; the one where the poor girl dressed as a boy destroyed a priceless vase and had to repay it's owners by working for them? Not the best example. Or how about the one where the characters turned into animals if someone hugged them? The heroine started off living in a tent in the middle of nowhere. That felt a lot closer. And they let her stay when she did the cooking and cleaning. Maybe they could do something like that for Asami? Bolin was a decent cook; Mako knew a load of practical stuff, plus he would make a great bodyguard. Would there be so many circumstances that lead to hugging though? Bolin frowned; what would Korra do?

"Korra? Would you like to steer?" Asami asked. "I want to go change."

"Oh. Oh sure. Um. What do I do?" Korra asked.

"Just hold the wheel like this," Asami reached out and placed one of Korra's hands on the controls. "And don't move. We just need to go straight for now and I won't be long."

"Okay," Korra said, her body stiff as she kept her hands in place. Asami clambered towards the back of the yacht and vanished into a hatch. Okay; no more thoughts about the lady thief or Asami getting changed.

"Hey Korra; we're right next to the statue," Bolin called with a strain in his voice. "Hey, we could go visit it since we have a boat," he added.

Korra laughed and shook her head. "Not confident about my boat skills at all and I don't want to crash this thing."

"Later?" he asked.

"Later," she said with a nod. "Hey, what are those big pipes with all the smoke?"

Bolin followed her gaze. "They're factories. Not sure what those ones do specifically, but in general they're places that make stuff."

"Wonder what they're burning," Korra said. "Never seen smoke like that before."

Asami's reappearance broke off the conversation. She had changed into darker clothes and her hair was damp; she looked even prettier. "Everything been okay?"

"Yeah," Korra said. "Wouldn't have minded stopping at the statue quickly though."

"Oh you should have said," Asami replied. Korra side-eyed her. "Well, okay maybe now is not the best time given your circumstances. We can try and figure something out later?"

Korra smiled, and sat opposite Bolin as Asami took over the controls.

* * *

><p>"Not much further, I promise," Asami said an hour later as she tied the boat up. "Afraid you and Naga will to run again," she remarked to Korra.<p>

"That's fine," Korra stretched. "Need some exercise after sitting still so long."

"Now if I'd had a boat yesterday I could have avoided the train," Asami murmured as they disembarked.

"But you had a car?" Bolin said. "You chased us with it."

"I did. It was stolen while I was chasing you two." Bolin flinched and fell silent; maybe he was in the debt repayment radio serial.

The streets here seemed quieter than any other place in the city. There were huge mansions all around them, each surrounded by even larger gardens. Bolin had heard of this place from older gang members. The sensible ones avoided coming here; the potential score was huge, but so were the risks. Rob one of these families and the police would come after you with everything they had. Assuming that the owners bothered with the police at all. There were stories that sounded right out of one of a drama - and not like the fun one with the lady bounty hunter and her rock hamster.

The car slowed and stopped beside a huge iron gate. A gold-coloured plaque was set into the post.

"Saaa-dou. No, wait, Safuji family?" Bolin read and blinked. He squinted at the characters. "No... um?"

"Sato, Bolin. It says 'Sato family'," Mako said, sounding exasperated.

"Oh, Sato. I knew that. Wait, Sato? As in the Sato family? The Sato family lives here? As in the ones who make Satomobiles?"

"Yes," Asami glanced back at him and grinning. "This is where we live."

Bolin's eyes went wide. "You live here? You. Live... here?"

"You don't recognise her at all Bolin?" Mako asked. Bolin shook his head. "Asami Sato? Heiress of Future Industries? Is none of this sounding familiar?" Mako continued.

"Well, I heard of her, but I didn't know... I mean. I don't think I've seen any recent pictures..." Bolin twisted around. "Hey Korra. Did you hear that?"

"Hmmm?" Korra blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"Asami. She's a Sato."

Korra grinned. "She has two names now?"

Asami laughed.

"Well, yes. A lot of rich people do," Bolin continued. "But she's... well, famous. Her whole family are. They're the reason these things are called Satomobiles." Bolin patted the car. "They're named after her family. You're lucky Korra; never in a million years did I think I would meet Asami Sato."

Korra's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. She looked as surprised as he felt.

"Bolin, please," Mako said.

"When did you get so blase about meeting someone like her?" Bolin asked as he turned back. "She's like really famous, Mako. It'd be like if we met Firelord Zuko. Or Toph - hey she has two names too."

Asami was still smiling. "I hate to burst your bubble - even a little - but I don't actually make the cars. That's what my dad does. Well, I will take over eventually. But it's not like he does or I will put them together ourselves. We pay other people to do that." Servants in uniform approached the gate and bowed as they pulled it apart. One of them was on the verge of saying something but Asami cut him off. "Good afternoon, Saionji. These are my guests; I would like you to extend the same courtesy as you do me. Including the..." She glanced back at Naga.

"Polar bear dog," Bolin supplied.

"Polar bear- Really? Asami asked. She looked to Bolin nodded. Asami shrugged. "Including the polar bear dog."

"Very well, Ma'am," Saionji replied with some stiffness. Asami revved the engine and drove forwards, Naga padding along behind. The grounds of the Sato family home were huge. It looked somewhat like the palaces Bolin had seen in books Mako borrowed from the library. Asami drove towards the biggest building in sight; two maids, a butler and a valet hurried towards them as they parked.

"Good afternoon, Ms Sato," the butler said as Bolin and Mako got out of the car.

"Afternoon, Takeshi," Asami nodded to the butler as she handed the car keys to the valet. "Is my father home?"

"Not at present, Ma'am."

"Good, good. Takeshi; it cannot escape your notice that I have brought guests with me," Asami said, indicating Bolin, Mako and Korra.

"Indeed not, Ma'am."

"I would like to offer them some refreshments."

"Very well," Takeshi replied. "Would ma'am like me to provide any particular snacks or tea? Or shall I just-"

"Ginseng tea and asparalettuce if you please," Asami said with a grin. Takeshi nodded and vanished inside the house. "Come on in," Asami waved. Bolin paused at the threshold to try and remove his shoes. "Don't worry about that, Bolin. Just come in." This did not feel quite right; clumps of mud and sticky threads of ichor fell to the pale wooden floor. Bolin winced, but Asami did not seem to mind; she was far more interested in her guests.

"Naga, stay," Korra called. Her companion settled down just outside the door and Asami gestured at the two maids. She whispered something Bolin did not catch to the first which sent her scurrying away.

"Tsuqi," Asami said addressing the second maid. "Please get some..." She glanced at Korra. "Fish?" Korra nodded, her eyes widening for a moment before she looked away. Asami frowned. "Some fish to serve to Naga. And some water," she added. The maid scurried away.

"This is..." Bolin began.

"Yeah," Mako added, looking around.

"Awesome," Bolin continued. "Asami, this place is... wow. It's all so clean. And new. And the rug." He looked down. He had managed to leave a large and muddy boot-print on one corner. "Oh Asami, I'm sorry about the rug."

Asami's smile did not falter. "Don't worry about that. It'll clean. Come on. Let's get something to eat while the baths are being sorted." She pulled open a door. Inside was smaller than the hallway, but only just. In the middle of the room was a table laden with food, teapots and chopsticks. "Korra, Bolin, help yourself; Yujin will be looking after you. I'll be back in a minute; I just need to get Mako to the bathroom."

"Wait, what, I don't-" He stopped when Asami grabbed hold of his arm and tugged him towards the door.

"Bolin? Korra? If you don't like the asparalettuce just ask for something else. The servants'll make it for you. See you in a minute," Asami said as she pulled Mako out of the room.

"Thank you Asami," Bolin called. Korra looked a little dazed still and after their host.

"Excuse me," a maid stood right beside Bolin and he flinched. "My name is Yujin and I am honored to be in your service. Please, allow me a moment to check your injuries."

"Hey, don't worry about- Ow." The beautiful girl's fingers hurt for a moment but blessed relief followed a second later.

"Does that feel better?" she asked.

Bolin nodded, his hands investigating his former wounds. "Wow, that was really great. Just like master Katara." The maid blushed and gestured to the table.

"If you would like to take your places and wash your hands?"

Korra looked confused and Bolin lead by example, plunging his hands into the offered bowl. Korra mimicked his action, still looking a little unsure of herself. Yujin laid the table and began portioning out the asparalettuce. So much had happened since their last meal; Bolin's stomach felt empty. But the setting unnerved him a little; how did they act in those serials again? Oh, right. "Ladies first?" he tried.

Korra smirked and snagged a leaf with her chopstick. "Oh... wow."

"Good?" Bolin asked.

Korra nodded as she gobbled more leaves.

The taste was almost undefinable. Eat bite seemed to cause new bursts of flavour to flood his mouth. How had he never tried this before? Aside from being unable to afford it. They ate in silence, Korra staring off into space. "Korra?"

"Hmmm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh. It's just it looked like something might be bothering you?"

"Hmmm? Oh, no. No, it's just... It's been a long day and a lot has happened. And this," she gestured at room. "Is a lot to take in."

"Yeah," Bolin said, his gaze flicking around the chamber. "Long day. This feels like a good ending though."

* * *

><p>Asami kept pulling at Mako's arm as she lead him upstairs.<p>

"Okay, what's going on?" Mako asked as she tried to pull him into one of the bedrooms. "I'm very grateful to you for your help, and everything you've done, but this seems too quick."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "And that's is the conclusion you jump to?" She pushed the bedroom door open. A maid looked up from beside the bed. "Sit." Mako sat down. "I brought you up here to get your injuries looked over. You've put up a brave front in front of your brother, but now you need to rest up. He needs a full check-up," Asami said to the maid.

Asami remained standing as the maid pulled Mako's shirt off. He winced as she investigated the welts and scars across his torso.

"Please don't tell Bolin," Mako begged between gritted teeth.

"You don't want him to know you've been getting injured for a while?"

"The damage looks consistent with more than one year of heavy impacts," the maid noted as she directed a stream of water onto his skin. "Some of the scarring appears to be fire damage."

"More than a year," Asami repeated to Mako. "And he never knew before today?"

Mako shook his head. "He thought I was doing aggressive gang stuff. You know, burning stuff the gang wanted burnt. I had to tell him something to stop him worrying and trying to help. Or spending all his time trying to solve our problems."

Asami sighed. "But you're coddling him."

"No; I know how to risk my life to get money. Bolin just knows how to risk his life. The amount of times I stopped him doing something lethal..."

"It's not fair on him to hide the damage this is doing to you. And..." She looked at him. "Mako; it's wonderful you care so much for your brother and want him to be safe - it really is. But doing so by getting yourself hurt and lying about it isn't."

"Don't got a lot of choice though, do I?"

"I'm going to give you that choice though." That got his attention. "Mako, would you like a job in Future Industries?"

He blinked. "What's the catch?"

Asami shook her head. "No catch. Normally you'd have problems as my father is not keen on benders - especially firebenders." Mako nodded and his expression softened. "But I can convince him if you're willing to work for him. If you want it, the opportunity is there for you. I'm prepared to make similar offers to Bolin and Korra; employment and somewhere to live."

Mako looked dazed. "You'd really do that for us?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Same reason I got you out of jail; you were the first person who ever made me question how I live. I have all this and you had a shack in the middle of nowhere. Didn't feel right somehow." Asami looked at him.

"I won't let you down," he insisted.

"Good."

The maid sat back on her haunches. "I've done everything I can for now. Ideally he needs a successive series of treatments," she said.

"I will call on you tomorrow then," Asami said. The maid nodded and rummaged in the first aid kid beside her. "Feel up to some food?" Asami asked.

Mako shook his head. "Maybe in a bit. I just want to rest my eyes for a minute." He winced.

"Some painkillers," the maid said, handing Mako a glass of water.

"Think you can find your way back if we leave you be?" Mako nodded, his movements sluggish. "We'll leave you in peace then, Mako." He did not reply and soon began snoring.

"Keep an eye on him, and let me know when he wakes up?" Asami asked the maid. She nodded.

* * *

><p>"Okay, best three out of five. And Bolin, this time you have to wait for me to say go before you start eating. Okay?"<p>

"Okay," Bolin replied sounding resigned.

"Okay?" Korra repeated in a louder voice.

"Okay," Bolin exclaimed.

"Okay. Three. Two. One. Go," Korra said. Asami smiled and pushed open the door of the reception room open. Both of her guests blinked at her. Their faces soon shifted to embarrassment; apasaralettuce leaves hung out of their mouths.

"You like the food then?" Asami asked.

"Yes," Korra and Bolin said in the same moment after an awkward swallow.

Asami sat down beside Korra. "I'm afraid Mako isn't going to join us; he felt a little unwell."

Bolin looked worried. "Is he okay? Those earthbenders were pretty vicious."

"He's fine. His injuries have all been seen too. He just didn't want to put you off your meal." Yujin entered with a lobsterclam. "And lobsterclam is not the best food if you're feeling a little under the weather," Asami explained.

"Wow," Bolin exclaimed, staring at the dish.

Neither Bolin nor Korra bothered to adhere to any social niceties; they began to pick the plate clean the second it hit the table.

"When you're done, there's a bath and a room ready for you both," Asami added.

"Thank you, so much Ms. Sato," Bolin said, ducking his head.

"Asami, please Bolin."

"Thank you," Korra added, stealing another glance at her. She kept doing that. Why?

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 Review Replies<p>

** Thatfan**

Probably the most general response we can give for you for your much-appreciated meticulous review: yes we are indeed sowing seeds. There's one very important detail that no reviewer seems to have commented on in the "Slum arc" and it's quite amusing.

Although this fanfic does its best to be excellent in a chapter by chapter basis, we weaved this story to form character and story arcs that can't be contained in a single chapter or a single book arc. There's also the fact that we have a limited writing speed.

Hopefully when people read the finished work in the future we'll get feedback from someone who experienced this fanfic on a single reading, and it will be interesting if there is a significant difference in opinion.

**On Azula:**

We should stress she's not a major character, but her name will at least be mentioned a few more times in the future. Can't spoil you guys.

**On Bolin:**

Interesting to see some varied feedbacks on him, and its certainly flattering. Can't spoil what will happen!

**On the Fire Nation Royal family:**

Zuko married Mai and everybody else has the rank of prince/princess. In Mai and Azula's case we gave them the title of "Lady" because of their age.

**On Mako and Bolin's "house" burning:**

It's not the last time the incident will be mentioned/alluded, especially if we do go ahead with Books 2 and 3. I promise the best stuff are in there so please support this fanfic.

**On the pace of this fanfic**

I we are to adapt Book 1 into animation it would probably be around 12 episodes and this chapter is probably in episode 5 or 6.


	10. Connection

**Book 1:Healing**

**Chapter 10: Connection**

* * *

><p><em>"Good morning, Zaheer," Korra said as she approached him.<em>

_"Good morning, Korra," he replied and opened his eyes. The sky was still dark at this early hour, but Korra looked bright and wide awake. "We are going to change your training today, but for now, please complete your exercises as normal."_

_Korra nodded and settled herself on a mat as she began her meditation. Zaheer watched her for a few moments and re-closed his eyes. The change would be welcome. As necessary as repetition and reinforcement was to guide and mould the Avatar's thought processes, it all became too familiar, too tedious. The girl's mastery of both water and earthbending was progressing as estimated; time to move on to other matters. He let his mind drift toward the spirit world while he waited, reaching its border as Korra roused herself from a sleep she kept hidden. She was watching him, pondering if she could dupe him. Korra decided against it and began running her laps of the compound. Good. Zaheer resisted the temptation to carry on into the spirit world; Korra would be back soon enough and then it would be time for breakfast._

_The two of them ate alone today; the other members of the Red Lotus busy elsewhere. "Your pre-breakfast routine will remain the same," Zaheer said as he ate. "After breakfast you will learn world history and air nomad philosophy until lunch. From then until mid-afternoon you will run your waterbending drills. Earthbending drills are to commence immediately afterward. After dinner, P'Li will begin firebending basics until bedtime."_

_Korra frowned. "The whole morning is just going to be old stories?"_

_"Yes," Zaheer said. "A human being is her mind, her body and her spirit, Korra. You must train all of them."_

_"But," Korra replied, fidgeting. "I know how to read and write already. I know all the characters already. If I learn anything new I'll forget things."_

_"You will not forget them. When you learn a new waterbending or earthbending drill do you no longer know the ones you knew before?"_

_Korra's eyes narrowed. "No... But-"_

_Zaheer cut her off. "The same is true of mental growth. Reading hones both your literacy and your knowledge."_

_"But I want to see all these things, not just read about them," Korra looked grumpy._

_"I was under the impression you liked reading your books," Zaheer said._

_"I do... but, it's not the same."_

_Zaheer sighed. "I'm afraid it is not possible for you to see those things at present." He glanced at her. "Then again, if history is so objectionable, we could improve your mathematics."_

_"No, anything but that," Korra exclaimed, her eyes wide._

_"It is also an important skill," Zaheer said._

_Korra shook her head. "It's not. It doesn't do anything. Why do I need to know how to mulitply one number by another? Why are all the questions about the otter penguin population?"_

_"They are merely examples on how to apply the concepts. But - given your intense dislike - if you concentrate on your new lessons, we will be required to spend less time on arithmetic." Korra was staring down at her rice bowl. "You have a basic grounding in mathematics; now I will teach you about philosophy, the spirits and the human body." Zaheer smiled. "You might even grow to like meditation."_

_"I doubt it," Korra said, shovelling another mass of rice into her mouth. "I hate meditation."_

_"You have never really tried it," Zaheer said._

_"You make me do it everyday. And I still have to do it," Korra muttered._

_"Yes, and that will continue until you do meditate. Not just sleep through it."_

_"But I only do that because it's like going to sleep. Can't I do some more push-ups instead? Those actually make me feel stronger."_

_Zaheer scowled. "No. Meditation is of the upmost importance. If you refuse to meditate at any point, you will not be allowed to bend for the rest of the day."_

_Korra snorted. "Like you can stop me."_

_"Do not try my patience, Korra," Zaheer boomed. "While I am not able to bend, I am perfectly capable of ensuring that you cannot either."_

_Korra looked worried, and blinked at him. "Okay." She chewed her food, deep in thought. "But if I get so little time for earthbending, how am I ever going to learn lavabending?"_

_Zaheer sighed. "I had hoped to discuss this at another time, but Ghazan is unconvinced you have the ability." Korra looked away from him. "Korra?"_

_"What?" She sounded upset._

_"This is nothing to be ashamed of. Not every bender is capable of every form of bending. P'Li's abilities are exceptionally rare; it is unlikely you could bend as she does. It does not diminish your skills; Ghazan is otherwise delighted with your earthbending progress."_

_"Maybe... maybe I just need more practice? If Ghazan could teach me more, I might be able to? And maybe I can firebend like P'Li as well?" She looked back, blinking, her eyes moist. "And I might even be able to heal, but how would we know since Ming can't? And how about lightningbending?"_

_"There are ways to find out if you are capable of healing; it is possible that you can. As for lightningbending; Korra-"_

_Korra sighed. "I know, I know. Only the Fire Nation royalty can do it."_

_"Not quite; though they are the only ones to hold the relevant knowledge. They alone know of the secret technique," Zaheer corrected her._

_Korra's eyes widened. "So I might be able to learn it?"_

_"Perhaps."_

* * *

><p><em>"...this concludes the philosophies of Guru Ravi." Zaheer eyed Korra. "Could you please tell me of all the Gurus you know of?"<em>

_Korra paused for a moment. "Guru Meera, Guru Takaram and Guru Ravi."_

_"Very good. We have one final Guru to cover."_

_Korra sighed. "Another one?"_

_"There were many great Gurus over the years." Zaheer cleared his throat. "Our next subject is Guru Laghima. He is particularly note-worthy in the annals of the airbenders for being the first to achieve true flight."_

_Korra blinked. "He could fly? The airbenders could fly?"_

_"Yes," Zaheer smiled. "Though only a very few have ever achieved weightlessness as Laghima did. There is no record of any Avatar performing this feat; not even in the Avatars who arose from within the air nomads."_

_"I'm going to be the first Avatar to do it then," Korra said as she sat up straighter. Zaheer bit back his retort; the secret Laghima achieved would be impossible for an Avatar like her._

_"Laghima lived thousands of years ago, before the founding of the four nations in our world. He began as an ordinary member of the air nomads until he lost his air bison at a young age."_

_"I thought that never happened?" Korra asked._

_"It is rare admittedly. Typically it was due to the air bison falling ill or not surviving an attack by a predator. Laghima was unusual even then; unlike almost every other air nomad who suffered this misfortune, he did not choose a replacement. Instead he became the leader of a group of airbenders who dedicated their time to freeing the land from the warlords who overran the territories the air nomads favoured." Zaheer stared at Korra as he spoke, his student seemed fascinated. "Laghima and his band of followers learned to strike fear into hearts of their enemies. They attacked via stealth and subterfuge; often their enemies were eliminated as they slept in supposed safety." Korra's eyes were wide. "Over time they became fugitives; all hunted by the best assassins in the world."_

_Korra still looked interested, but she was fidgeting more and more as he spoke. "As time wore on, Laghima's friends passed away or were picked off by their enemies. Laghima himself vanished for many years; his whereabouts and destination have remained a mystery ever since. It was many years later when he is next recorded in history. He arrived at the Northern Air temple and demonstrated his ability to fly to the astonished air nomads. For the next forty years his feet again never touched the ground." Korra looked impatient. "His written legacy consisted of several volumes of poetry, though only fragments of this remain thanks to the Fire Nation. We are fortunate that among the remaining text containing are the two main tenats of his philosophy."_

_His pupil was squirming in her seat now, she wanted, no, needed to ask something. Was she engaged enough? But the next part was vital. "The first of Laghima's teachings is 'New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old'. Chaos is the natural state of our world; the organisations that developed during the settling of the four tribes were achieved through violence and subjugation, hidden behind the mask of peace. As soon as the concept of 'government' was introduced, the ability to reach spiritual enlightenment was destroyed in the same moment. One cannot exist in the presence of the other; the introduction of a rigid social system is unnatural and has contributed to every problem since. It affects everything in this world; why the world seeks to harm you and why there exists a rift between humanity and the spirits."_

_Korra sighed, and Zaheer fought back a scowl. "A problem, Korra?"_

_"How did he learn to fly?" she asked._

_"It was not a quick act or something he found. Guru Laghima first sought to understand the world. Only when he achieved this first goal was he on the path to achieving flight. If you wish to equal his capability, you must study his teachings and understand as he did."_

_"But..." Korra frowned. "Laghima is a Guru like the others, right?"_

_"Yes, of course."_

_"So; his teachings would be like the others? They all say the same thing; people should be free, and people should be spiritual."_

_Zaheer repressed another sigh. "But do you understand his words? You must understand why Laghima decreed the old must be destroyed to make way for the new." Korra was silent. "Would you know what his second tenat means? The mantra he insisted was the key to his new-found ability?"_

_Korra sat up and smiled. "I... want to hear it."_

_"Very well; 'Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void. Empty and become wind'." Zaheer intoned the words with as much gravitas as he was able._

_"That's it?" Korra looked incredulous. "What's an earthly tether?"_

_"If you wish to understand his meaning, you will have to study again tomorrow."_

* * *

><p><em>Korra chattered to Naga as she cooked her fish over the bonfire. The two appeared inseperable now; the polar bear dog helpful in catching additional food for her.<em>

_"Zaheer," she called. He paused as she wandered closer and she held out a skewered fish. "Do you want one?"_

_"No. Thank you, but no. I am a vegetarian," he said._

_"Vegetarian?" Korra peered at the fish. "But, why? Fish is really tasty."_

_"I follow the ways of the air nomads, and strive to be as close to them as I can be."_

_"They didn't eat meat?" she asked._

_Zaheer shook his head. "No. But, please, finish your meal." He strode away._

* * *

><p><em>"Remember, Korra. You must not use bending. The only ability thing you should rely on is being able to strike the pressure points on my body. With that in mind, are you ready?" Korra nodded, her clothes still singed from P'Li's firebending drills. "Begin."<em>

_Korra dashed forward. Zaheer fended off her bare-handed strike without issue, her fingers not even close to the critical point on his shoulder. Korra had not yet proven adept at chiblocking; Zaheer first tried to introduce the concept to her two years earlier. Korra had not proven adept at the skill. A meeting of the Red Lotus concluded that there might be an issue due to her mental immaturity, though time did not seem to have improved her ability. Her strikes were still not accurate enough. Two years ago she flouted the rules and used bending to win a technical victory over Zaheer; always her first and last resort._

_There was a sadistic pleasure in the scream of frustration as Zaheer stabbed at the first point on Korra's shoulder. Her arm went limp and she tried to counter-attack; waterbending as alwatys. Her still good arm clumped snow together close by. Too slow. Zaheer ducked and side-stepped the weakened projectiles Korra crafted. She scowled, becoming angrier. A wave of ice pillars erupted under Zaheer's feet. He braced himself and let them throw him up into the air. Up and over Korra. A sweep of his leg and Korra was face down in the snow._

_She spluttered. "It's not fair," Korra scowled as she scrambled to her feet and kicked a fireball at Zaheer. It missed by a wide margin; he did not even have to move. "I'm the Avatar and I can't hit you at all."_

_"You are not a master in any of the elements you can access. As such, you cannot call yourself the Avatar yet," Zaheer said. She glared at him. "Would you like to explain what you did wrong in our fight?"_

_"My firebending; it's not as good as my earth or waterbending. I need to learn more."_

_Zaheer sighed. "While it is a possible solution, it is not a wise one. You do not use strategy; you do not compensate due to changes in the battle. You leave yourself open to an opponent who can outsmart you or use your attacks against you as I did." Korra pushed at her limp arm. "Korra; you must observe your opponents and what they do. You concentrate too much on yourself."_

_"I don't... What do you mean?" she asked._

_"You wish to eliminate your weaknesses simply by being stronger. At no point have you tried to exploit my weaknesses. My inability to bend is only one of many. Second; you rely on the ability to bend elements rather than finding a strength in each. You are quick to apply earthbender methodology to your waterbending. This is unhelpful and counter-productive."_

_"But..." Korra looked annoyed. "But I like all the elements. I can use all the elements. It makes no sense to stick to just one."_

_Zaheer shook his head. "You miss my point, Korra. Concentrate on the weakness of your opponent. Then use the appropriate element to exploit that weakness."_

_Korra fidgeted. "That feels a bit like... cheating?"_

_"Cheating?"_

_"Yeah; I should defeat them at their strongest. That sounds better."_

_Zaheer sighed. "Korra; why do you persist in ignoring our advice? We have saved your life three times now; we know the best way to prepare you for the future. We have encountered and defeated hundres of opponents. You have experienced only four and defeated none."_

_"Shouldn't I do the same then? Leave here and fight stronger fighters?" Korra asked._

_Zaheer tilted his head to one side. "That would be futile. The four of us are the best."_

_Korra looked skeptical. "Still; it's only four peoples. And what about your friends elsewhere? Are they all benders or chiblockers? Do I get to practice fighting with them?"_

_"You will only meet them when you are older. When you have need of them. At present you remain a child and thus stay here."_

_Korra stared down at the snow for a moment. "If I defeat you right now, then can I leave here?"_

_Zaheer frowned. "You cannot hope to defeat me at present. And it would not matter if you did; you are not allowed to leave. Here with myself, P'Li, Ghazan and Ming is the safest place in the world. I am surprised that you need to hear this so often."_

_With a scowl, Korra leapt forward. Her lust for combat was what they needed from the Avatar; her devotion to her cause made her easy to use. And yet; her interest in fighting was still more about proving her own strength than dispatching her enemies. In her drills, in her lessons, she used every method the Red Lotus taught. Yet as soon as she was in free combat she discarded her lessons and fought in her own, anarchic style. On the ground she was an earthbender, when she dodged she was a waterbender and in the air she bent fire. No improvisation, no dynamics. She remained nothing but a child and used each element only in specific cirumstances. Simple, easy, exploitable. Still young and inexperienced. Still moldable. Still perfect for their methods. But despite her desire to fight, her aggression was too slight. She was prepared to injure an opponent, but none of her attempted blows were close to lethal force. She needed be pushed further. But there was the risk and limitations they knew too well; push too far and they risked the activation of the Avatar State._

_Zaheer's fingers stabbed into more pressure points on Korra's body; her arm and one leg. Now the other leg. Korra fell into a crumpled heap in the snow._

_"You see now Korra?" Zaheer asked. "You are defeated without landing a single blow on me. I recommend you meditate on all that has happened and why." He turned and walked away._

_"Zaheer," she called out. "I'm... cold. Don't leave me out here. Please?"_

_He turned back. "Korra; if I had been a real opponent you would now be dead. You are helpless and defenceless; remember this experience and seek to avoid it in future."_

_"At least let Naga warm her up." Zaheer glanced around. His co-conspirators had been watching and Ghazan looked worried._

_"As you heard, Ghazan. If this was a real fight, she would now be dead," Ming said with a certain amount of glee. "Leave her in the cold; it is a mild fate in contrast."_

_Ghazan sighed. "I know. But-" He glanced at the shivering form. "It won't let her die that easily, will it?"_

_"Zaheer?" P'Li asked. "She is shaking pretty badly."_

_Zaheer raised an eyebrow. "Let her try to recover on her own." He sighed at her expression. "Very well; if she looks be in danger, than take her inside."_

* * *

><p>The water was almost scalding, the air hazy. Another new experience to add to the others since Korra arrived in Republic City. Had hot water always been so delicious to lie in? Or was it more because of the oils and dusts Asami insisted on adding to the water? Her back tensed at the thought of her. Asami. Asami Sato. That double name, the one she heard so long ago. There were too many coincidences now. Asami Sato whose father made Satomobiles. Asami Sato who lived in a huge home where you could see the statue of Avatar Aang. It was her. It had to be. Korra needed to talk to her.<p>

Time seemed to drift in the water, the heat and warmth hard to pull away from. But it did not last; it took a long time, far longer than she would have expected, but the water began to cool. Would it be so terrible to replenish the heat? Asami topped up the bath just before she left, steaming water available with the twist of a tap. Korra resisted. She had spent enough time lying here relaxing. A few quick movements drew all the water from her hair and skin, and she picked through Asami's donated clothes. They were a little tight; bearable, but odd after the loosness of Bolin's clothing.

Okay. Now to find everyone else. To go out there again, face everyone and... what? Blurt out her theory about Asami? Try to get her on her own to talk without an audience? Reveal her nature as the Avatar? Maybe they could talk politics; how Asami could live in a place like this, with so much space and - if she understood right - so few people living here, while there were people like Bolin and Mako who had nothing. But it seemed, despite the luxurious home, Asami did care. She invited them here without a pause. And if Korra understood all the implications right, Asami's family were responsible for the shelters Mako mentioned. She was the embodiment of the nice rich person Bolin described. Pity she seemed to be in the minority. But if she was right about Asami, what then? Aang had guided her here for a reason. Asami was not the sole factor in her eagerness to leave her teachers, but neither had Korra been lead straight to the South Pole. If she was to find Katara it did not seem to be why she was here; something required her here. Wait. Katara was Aang's wife. Were there any children?

There was a knock on the door. "Korra?" She jumped at the sound of Asami's voice.

"Yes?"

"Are you decent- I mean," Asami sounded a little flustered. "Is it okay if I come in?"

Korra glanced at herself. She was still wearing clothes. Why did she check? "Yes," she replied, trying to keep her voice level.

Asami smiled as she opened the door. "Hi. Oh, wow; you look great, Korra. The clothes fit you okay?"

There was a half second desire to ask for something larger, but she dismissed it. "Yes, thank you."

Asami looked away, swaying on her feet. "I was wondering..." She glanced back. "Do you want to have a look around? Mako's still out like a light, and Bolin just wanted a little longer in his bath, so I thought...?"

"That sounds great," Korra said. Perfect.

"...and down here..." Asami trailed off. "Korra?" Korra ignored her for the moment and wandered onto the balcony. The sun was low on the horizon; she had seen both sunrise and sunset many times, but it felt different here. Warmer somehow. And in front of the darkening sun was the towering statue of Avatar Aang. "Korra?" Asami tried again. "Are you okay?"

Her heart thundered in her chest and Asami's clothes far too tight around her neck. But; there was no one around. No witnesses to a conversation that might prove embarassing. She needed to know, but somehow, even asking felt a huge hurdle. No. She could do this. "Asami, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Asami replied and leant back against the railing. Korra had the other girl's undivided attention.

"Before, where I used to live, I. No. When I was a kid, there was this time-" Korra sighed and took a deep breath. "Asami; I don't think today is the first time we've met. And..." Come on. "I think it was our destiny to meet like this."

Asami's eyes widened a fraction and her smile grew a little. She tilted her head to one side. "Destiny is it?" Asami did not seem fazed by her words; more intrigued. Maybe pleased? "And we met before?" She tilted her head to the other side. "I'm... I'm sorry, but I think I might need a hint?"

There was an odd warmth in her stomach at Asami's smile. Fear tempered the pleasant sensation; Asami had missed the point. "Let me start again. I used to live in the North. The real far North. And one day I met a girl named Asami Sato. She said her father made cars and lived in Republic City and-" She broke off. Asami's smile had vanished.

"Naga." Asami twisted around, and stared down off the balcony. "That's... that's Naga. She's... she's so big now. She's..." She turned back, her lips quirking back into a grin. Korra could not repress her own smile. "You. It was you. You kept me warm. You bent fire to keep me warm," she said, her voice growing louder as she spoke.

Korra let out a shuddering breath. "It is you," she breathed.

"Korra; you were the girl in the snow. You're the girl who wouldn't tell me her name." She darted forwards and before Korra could react, Asami's arms were wrapped around her. "I knew you were real," she whispered. "They never really believed me, but I knew I met someone out there." Korra was not sure how to react to this. After a delay she lifted her arms and let them settle around Asami. That seemed to be okay. "This is amazing."

"Yeah," Korra smiled into her shoulder. "I wanted to find you, but... I had no idea how to even start."

Asami pulled back. "I think you have to thank Naga."

Korra grinned. "That's true."

Asami stepped back and Korra let her arms drop a second too late. Asami did not seem to mind. "I kept wondering what happened to you. I wanted to see you again, but..." Asami bowed to her. "I'm sorry; I never kept my promise." She straightened and smiled again. "I got in so much trouble for getting lost. I was never allowed out on my own again. And we never went back the next year or ever again."

"I..." Korra glanced out to the darkening sky. "I figured it would be something like that. And... I got moved shortly after that anyway. But I found your research station - just not quick enough. So I have to apologise too; I never made it back the next day either."

"It's fine," Asami said waving; something seemed to catch her eye and she stared at Korra for a long moment. Korra felt her cheeks heat up. "And now you've left home and come here. I'm so glad we ran into each other."

"Yeah..." Korra tried to not let the lie catch in her throat as she scratched at her cheek. "Needed to get out and start a new life here."

"Okay; you were going to meet my dad anyway, but now I really have to introduce you to him." Asami sounded giddy.

"Your father?"

"Yeah; he was never convinced you were real. Something about lack of places to live, and how you vanished right before they arrived. And trying to tell him about Naga just made him more skeptical. But now; now I can introduce my 'imaginary' friend to him." Asami smiled. "I really am sorry I didn't recognise you at first. It's just... been too long." Asami curled a strand of hair around her finger. "When did you realize?"

"It wasn't immediate," Korra admitted. "I wondered when I heard your name."

"Oh, so that's why you asked," Asami interjected with a giggle.

"Yeah. But I wasn't sure until the gate; your name, the Satomobiles." Korra smirked. "You used to do a really good impression of them."

Asami blinked. "I talked about Satomobiles?"

Korra nodded. "And Republic City. And the Avatar statue." Korra gestured to it. "And you even mentioned this place." She glanced up to the bulk of the mansion.

Asami laughed. "I wish my memory was that good. I 've forgotten so much." A jolt ran through Korra at her words. Her precious memory of their meeting seemed so unimportant to Asami. "I am sorry though, Korra. That was right before my mom... passed away," she murmured. Korra tensed. She felt selfish; a chance meeting in the snow could not take precedence over the loss of her mother like that. Asami looked her. "I'm sorry Korra."

Korra shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

Asami shook her head. "It's okay. Losing her was why we never went back North. The memories were just too painful for my Dad. It still gets to him and he works way too hard because of it. Wish she could have met you too. Oh," she added after a moment. She rummaged in her pocket and pulled something out. "Okay, Mom, this is my friend Korra - the one I told you about. Korra; my mother." Asami held out an opened locket. There was an image inside of what looked like an older Asami cradling a younger girl. The same young girl she met in the snow.

"She's beautiful... You look just like her." Asami smiled, but Korra was still distracted by the image. Why was that image so clear? There was no indication of any brushstrokes in the image. Just like all the images on the Sato's walls. How were they painted?

"This is also why we met," Asami said, closing the locket and slipping it back into her pocket. "Mako stole it from me. And because of that I wound up meeting you." Asami blinked. "Did you say... Are your parents dead too?" Korra nodded. "Sorry," Asami said. "I think I remember you saying that. Should have remembered." Asami coughed. "You should know..." She peered back through the doorway and lowered her voice. "I never completely forgot about you. I mean, I forgot what I said, but I remember what you did. I remember you waterbending and firebending." Korra felt a chill rip through her. "And when... when the Avatar never appeared, I wondered if..." Asami looked at her. "I wondered if I'd met her."

Korra shook her head. "No, no. I think..." Quick. "You must have gotten something mixed up. I'm just a firebender. I made a fire to keep you warm." Weak. If Asami pressed her based on her memory it would not be easy to cover.

Asami nodded and her shoulders relaxed. "That makes sense." She reached out to touch Korra's arm. "I was worried I knew where the Avatar was when the world needed her. I thought, what if I'm responsible for everything that went wrong after that because I never told anyone?" Asami smirked. "That'd make me a pretty terrible person right?"

This was more than a little awkward. "Hate to disappoint. Or is that less disappointing?" Korra said and tried to keep her tone light.

"Bit of both, I think," Asami replied. "Still; you never know. Are you from the water tribe?" Korra nodded. "So there's still a chance you could be the Avatar. Maybe you just haven't sussed out the other elements yet?"

"I... I tried and it didn't work. I thought I could be the Avatar once too," Korra said, the lie seeming transparent. Did she say that too fast? "Bet all the water tribe kids did."

"I was kidding Korra," Asami said with a laugh. Korra joined in a second later. "I mean it sounds great to be the Avatar, but all that responsibility, all those people looking up and depending on you; I'm not sure I could do it. If I could bend at all," she added. Both girls stared out at the sunset in silence. "So," Asami said after a long pause. "What are you plans for after this? Do you have anywhere to stay in the city?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead. Last night I slept at Mako and Bolin's place, and now that's gone. I'll figure something out." Korra sighed and shook her head. "Can I admit something?"

"Sure," Asami replied.

"I spent so long thinking about coming here, and then when I got my chance I ran with it without thinking about afterwards. Now I'm here, and I've done the thing I always wanted to do, but..."

"You don't know what to do now?" Asami offered.

"Exactly," Korra said with a nod. "I never thought I could get here like this. Or find you. After finding out A- the other person had passed away, you were all I was focused on."

Asami reached for Korra's hands. "You can stay here if you want."

"Asami... I..."

"It's fine. You've seen how much space we have here. You're new in the city. And," she said with a glint in her eye. "You are my oldest friend by a long-shot. So; I want to help."

If her guardians were indeed looking for her to drag her back to the North, how would they view Asami? Or Mako or Bolin? "Asami, thank you, but I-"

Asami shook her head. "I'm not going to force you or anything. You don't have to decide now. Just know there is a room for you here, and I know the city really well, and I would love to spend more time with you."

"Thank you."

Asami took Korra's hand and laced their fingers together. "Hungry?" Korra nodded, the physical sensation distracting her thoughts. "Let's sort out dinner then. And what a story to tell the other two." Asami let go of Korra's hand. There was a second of disappointment followed by surprise as Asami wrapped both arms around Korra's arm and squeezed. "It's great to finally meet you again, Korra."

Korra smiled. "And you, Asami."

* * *

><p>"Wait, wait, wait," Bolin said, leaning forward. "You two met when you were just kids? And found each other again thanks to both of you meeting me and Mako?" He grinned at Mako who seemed less excited. "This is destiny. This is actual destiny stuff. And it would make a great radio serial plot; the watertribe firebender named Korra meets the Future Industries heiress Asami Sato when they were just kids. Years later thanks to the noble actions of their two new friends, the two find each other again." He looked exuberant. "We should write it down and send it to Aunt Tsaro. There's a chance they'll do the story as part of Do You Remember?" Bolin stared into space for a moment and frowned. "Wait... Would it come out as a romance?"<p>

"Please don't," Korra said, picking at her food. "I'm not sure I want to be famous."

"Maybe we could change the names," Asami said. "Have you heard any of the Do You Remember? series" Korra shook her head. "I'll let you know next time it's on. It's really good. Pity there's no way to hear the best ones again unless they re-perform them. Like the one that starts out with the firebender boy and waterbender girl meeting in the pro-bending arena. And then..." Asami shook her head. "Don't want to spoil it in case it does come around again. That one really made me cry though."

"Oh," Bolin exclaimed. "That was one of my favorites too. Didn't like the love triangle though. I mean, it was so sad when he chose the waterbender and ditched the rich girl, but I wish they stopped doing that kind of thing."

Mako scowled. "It was badly written anyway."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "But you listened, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, its hard to ignore when he's tuned in." Mako flicked his thumb at Bolin. Asami stared at him and he flushed. "Fine," Mako added. "Once I've heard the start, I have to know the ending." He looked away as Bolin and Asami laughed.

"How did it end?" Korra asked.

"It's... Hard to summarize?" Bolin said. "I mean, we'd have to tell the whole story all over again. And it's best to hear it without knowing the ending."

"I don't mind," Korra said.

Bolin smiled. "It's still complicated. But the most important part was that the waterbender and the rich girl got together at the end and lived happily ever after."

Korra frowned. "Well, I'm not that fond of love stories," Korra said. "All the ones I read had one or other of them dying. And then the surviving partner just mourns them for the rest of their days. There was even one when he knew the girl two weeks and threw his entire life away and completely ignored his childhood sweetheart. He turned into a real jerk. And some of the first earthbender romances are just overly tragic."

"Thank you," Mako said with emphasis. "I don't want to relive that experience in a two-man show."

Asami and Bolin laughed. "I'm not sure I remember the whole script," Asami said.

"Me either," Bolin added.

"Now that's not true," Mako frowned. "I know you remember every word."

Bolin flushed and coughed. "Sorry Korra, but I still think your story would make a great drama."

"And you want to draw attention to her? Don't forget, the police were looking for her," Mako said.

"No problem," Bolin replied as he leant back. "We can change the names, make up some more fantasy sequences to add into it, not mention her fighting the police-" He broke off and sighed. "No, its no good. They'll definitely pick up on it if we tried that. Sorry Korra."

"It's fine. Maybe one day okay? When we know the rest of the story?" Korra offered.

Bolin grinned. "I like that idea."

Asami cleared her throat. "I would like to propose a toast." Asami lifted her glass up, the brothers following her action. Korra hesitated a moment before copying. "To the newest employee of Future Industries and forklift operator; Mako. To Bolin and Mako for their new home in the company dorms."

"This is going to be so awesome. Oh, wait. Where's Korra going to live?" Bolin asked.

"Well, I've offered to let her stay here," Asami said.

"And I've decided... I will," Korra replied in a rush, feeling her cheeks redden. Asami smiled at her.

"So to new jobs, new places to live and new friendships. Cheers," Asami said.

"Cheers," the others echoed, Korra a moment out of step. The wine was good; Zaheer let her drink some in the past. But this meal was so different to any other she had experienced; her teachers almost never ate together no matter how much time passed since they last saw each other. And there was never laughter like this, never this warm atmosphere. On the surface it was not that different; she was with an earthbender, a firebender and a non-bender who could chiblock. So why did it feel so different? Why did these people she had met just days ago want to spend time with her like this? Why was there no guilt? How could she be so comfortable here?

"And here's to Korra," Asami said after she topped up her glass. She looked a little flushed. "I bet she would be a much better Avatar than the real one. At least we know where she is."

Bolin laughed. "Oh, Korra would be such a cool Avatar. And it would be so awesome if she was." He grabbed Mako's arm. "Think about it; we'd actually be in Team Avatar. For real this time."

"I don't think it pays well. I think I'll stick with my new job," Mako replied.

"I'm not sure Team Avatar got paid at all," Asami clarified.

Korra took another too large gulp of her wine.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews!<p>

**On the earthbender who beat Mako:**

Was she important? *shrugs*

**On relationships:**

We're pleased with the feedback! We aim to make them complex.

**On Book 2 and 3 and possible storylines:**

We love to hear your thoughts and predictions, but we can't tell ya what's gonna happen. I can just say I'm optimistic the story is going to be better as it goes on.

**"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory."**

- Leonard Nimoy (March 26, 1931 - February 27, 2015)

Rest in peace space man, you will be remembered.


	11. For Whom The Fire Burns

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 11: For Whom The Fire Burns**

* * *

><p><em>Ghazan clawed at the air with his fingers and dragged down more rock from the roof of Laghima's cave. The entrance was already clogged with rubble, but he continued to add to the blockage, flooding the air with dust. He reached up again and stopped, his face twisting into a grimace. Ghazan shook his head and his arms fell limp to his sides.<em>

_"They're digging towards us." He sounded defeated._

_"All of them?" P'Li asked. Ghazan slapped his foot against the rock floor, and closed his eyes. "Probably. More than likely at least the Avatar and the metal bender sisters." He opened his eyes. "They're headed this way."_

_P'Li sighed. "Nothing more we can do." They had run as far as they could; from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom. Even the hostility between the nations did nothing to deter their pursuers. The bounty Zuko placed on their heads had people seeing Yuan no matter what the dangers were. An increasing band of pursuers and the Avatar pushed them further and further North. And now there was nowhere else to go._

_Ghazan nodded and they left the flimsy seeming barrier behind. No amount of rock would feel enough and short of a lot of platinum they could not hope to block the metal benders. P'Li shook her head; even if they had the metal it would be far too easy to circumvent. Best go to their friends now; Shino, Mei, Yama and Diki were waiting in the depths._

_"Zaheer," Mei said as she struggled to her feet. She had been here a long time; her eyes were bloodshot, her skin pale. "Ming, P'Li, Ghazan. Thank the spirits the four of you are still safe." Her gaze darted past them, up towards the cave entrance. "They are coming for us?" P'Li nodded._

_"Then we have truly lost," Shino said._

_"Shino," Zaheer began._

_She shook her head. "If we are lucky they will simply kill us. They seem more the type to try and take us alive. Either way, I do not want them deciding my fate." She stared at them all in turn. "I will die by my own hand first."_

_"And I will join you," Diki said, Yama and Mei nodded beside him. "Better to be born again then suffer the humiliation of defeat at their hands."_

_"How should we...?" Yama asked. There was an uncomfortable silence._

_"P'Li?" Mei spoke up. "Please; lend us your fire. Let us burn together in a single flame and leave our earthly vessels."_

_"Together," Zaheer echoed._

_P'Li nodded. To die with the man she loved; better here and now instead of paraded in front of a court or executed for an audience. "Zaheer; we have spent so long together, done so much together. With you I have lived a thousand lives and for you I have ended so many others. If you would but ask me now, I will take our lives as easily as I have taken any other life." She stepped closer to him and pressed her lips against his._

_"P'Li," he said in a soft tone. "This is not the end."_

_She nodded. "We will find each other again; in our next lives."_

_He pulled her against him, his arms encircling her waist and pressing into her back. P'Li kissed him again; she needed this, needed to feel this before it ended. Zaheer's lips left her own all too soon and he rested his head on her shoulder. He was delaying the inevitable. A tremor ran through Zaheer and he drew back, blinking as his gaze flicked to each Red Lotus member in turn. "Ming," he said, his eyes narrowing. "Does anyone know you are here?"_

_"Does it matter?" she asked in a dismissive tone._

_"Yes. Quickly; did anyone see us enter the cave?" There was an almost excited tone to Zaheer's voice._

_"Fine," Ming snorted. "No; no one saw us come in here if that's what you mean," she said._

_Zaheer smiled. "All is not lost." He turned on his heel, and jabbed his fingers into Shino's shoulder. He repeated the movement on Diki, Yama and Mei before they could react. Four members of the Red Lotus dropped to the ground, paralyzed._

_"Zaheer, what are you doing?" Ghazan exclaimed._

_"Zaheer-" Shino began._

_"Ming, if you could silence them please," Zaheer said. She hesitated a moment before complying; ice formed over the mouths of the incapacitated Red Lotus members._

_"Zaheer," Ghazan tried again, backing away from their leader._

_"We must succeed in our calling. We must not let this be our end in this life. I do not want to lose this chance to change the world." Zaheer turned back to his friends as he tugged at his tunic. "All of you; exchange your clothes with theirs. Quickly. The Red Lotus will endure. Our numbers will be diminished but we at least will continue."_

_P'Li avoided a panicked gaze as she pulled at the clothing on Shino's limp body. It seemed to take far too long; limbs catching in sleeves and collars too small for heads. Every moment felt like the last; at any moment the Avatar might appear behind them. Before Zaheer's plan could continue._

_"P'Li," Zaheer said. "You said you have killed without question; do you still stand by those words?" She nodded. "Then, please provide the approaching aggressors with four unidentifiable bodies," he said, his face expressionless._

_Out of the corner of her eye, P'Li caught a wide-eyed look of panic from Shino. No. She had to ignore her. P'Li took a deep breath and held it. As she breathed out she enveloped the quartet in searing flames. There were no screams, no writhing in agony; the four Red Lotus members burned as if they were firewood. The flames charred the bodies, the stink of burnt flesh filling the cave. As quick a death as she could manage; the least she could do for their sacrifice._

_"Ghazan; we now rely on you," Zaheer said. "Please, dig a path to the beach and cover any trace of our presence."_

_Ghazan stared at the bodies of their former allies. "But-" he gestured._

_"Ghazan." Zaheer's tone was sharp; the other man stared at him. "We stand at a fork in the path; if we stay and mourn our friends we will be captured by the Avatar. If instead we allow them to find only these bodies and assume they are ours, then we remain free. We have no choice but to abide by your decision."_

_The earthbender stood rigid for a moment. P'Li opened her mouth to plead their case when he nodded and punched a section of rock from the wall. "Keep up," he muttered as he pushed forward. The three remaining Red Lotus member hurried after him and Ghazan sealed the tunnel off behind them. "They're close," he said and gritted his teeth as he began digging again. "Gonna have to hope they're too far away to notice a change in our numbers. Or sense me doing this."_

_"We will take the chance," Zaheer said. "And deal with the outcome as it comes. I have every faith in your abilities."_

_Ghazan grunted and dug deeper into the rock. P'Li's ears strained for any trace of pursuit. She feared the moment the wall behind them would disintegrate and the Avatar would be upon them. No. She would destroy the Red Lotus's bodies first; give him nothing to arrest. If she could summon the fire fast enough, maybe she could even take him out with them. But there was nothing to hear over the grinding crunch as the rock split and shattered beneath Ghazan's hands. He never tired and continued to pummel the rock, hour after exhausting hour._

_The open sky was a relief after the claustrophobic bubble Ghazan had worked within burst open. They staggered into daylight, exhausted. P'Li gulped at the cool air, unable to relax just yet. She stared around, watching, anticipating the new flight required. But there was no one waiting to arrest them. No air bison swooping out of the air to bring the Avatar. They were still free._

_"What now?" Ming asked as she looked back towards the mountain-side. "Are there any of us left now?"_

_"Maybe it's just us," Ghazan said, slumped on the ground._

_P'Li shook her head. "We can't give up so easily."_

_"Indeed," Zaheer said. "This is not the end; we will find our surviving allies. We will recruit new believers. As long as even one of us persists, the Red Lotus lives on."_

* * *

><p><em>Even days later, P'Li was still not quite able to relax. A garbled radio broadcast announced a group of terrorists committed suicide before capture. The news cheered Zaheer and Ming, but P'Li could not put all her faith in it. Not yet. Ghazan looked melancholic. There had been no mention of their attempt on the Fire Lord and his family. Their names and their organization were not mentioned once. Obfuscation from the Avatar and his companions? P'Li snorted. An insult to the Red Lotus; how could they fail to mention them? The news did not change even as days gave way to weeks and weeks to months. They remained free. The Red Lotus changed hideouts as often as possible. They avoided civilisation, walking in the wilderness and desolation. For all they knew, they might be the last people alive in the world. Half a year after their escape they ventured back to civilisation.<em>

_They found other survivors of the Red Lotus, scattered across the world. Some returned without question to their cause. Others resisted the invitation, no longer believing as they once had. The deaths that followed were the least of her worries now. One, two, ten, she stopped counting and felt only disappointment if a former ally refused their offer. A long year later they received word that the Avatar had fallen ill. A calm broadcast stressed there was no need for concern, but later reports did little to show Aang was recovering. His health was failing him earlier than expected; tragic for one so young. Their spy within the White Lotus conjectured it was a result of his time in the ice during the lost hundred years. The Avatar was vulnerable. Would the fire nation be so competent if Zuko lost his beloved friend? Would the Red Lotus be able to re-work their old plan if Aang passed away? And what of the Avatar himself? To bring about Laghima's vision required both his removal and severing the chain of his reincarnation._

_Zaheer began to obsess over the idea; it became all he would talk about. The Red Lotus prepared as best they could with such limited numbers and no permanent base of operations. There were complications to be overcome; Aang was not only protected by his wife and children. Toph Beifong and her daughters had taken up temporary residence in Aang's home. A direct assault could not end well; not weakened as they were. Zaheer remained unfazed. "Now that we know what we would face, we can begin to compensate and neutralize the threat."_

_"We need more benders," Ghazan said._

_"Indeed. We will recruit more to the cause."_

_How many new members of the Red Lotus would they need? How long would it be before they were of a size to overwhelm those defenses? Five, ten years? Their dream slipped towards the horizon of forever. Until the radio brought news that undid all their preparations; Avatar Aang had passed away._

_"He lasted less time than I expected," Ming said. "We should seize this opportunity; kill the next Avatar as soon as they are found."_

_P'Li smiled. "If only he was to arise in the air nomads again; their population is so small we would not even need to search. A shame he is to come from the water tribe."_

_Ming clicked her tongue. "I would not worry; they are the next smallest in population terms. It should be simple to locate him prior to his sixteenth birthday."_

_"So we find him and kill him?" Ghazan shook his head. "Won't that just make him reincarnate in the Earth Kingdom? We need to stop that part before we consider killing him."_

_"The Avatars have failed to survive childhood in the past at least," P'Li noted. "But he always returns."_

_"I have a different idea," Zaheer said after a pause. "Harmonic Convergence will occur in nineteen years time. It will herald the dawn of a new age; the Avatar's power will be at it's peak."_

_"Then surely we must eliminate him and the chain before then?" P'Li asked._

_Zaheer shook his head. "No. I forsee a different scenario. One in which the Avatar stands by us as Harmonic Convergence occurs. Where the Avatar understands the world as we do, where they have assisted in the dismantling of every form of governance. He will be a member of the Red Lotus; and on that day, effectively unstoppable."_

_P'Li frowned. "How would we accomplish this?"_

_"The next incarnation of the Avatar was conceived at the very moment of Aang's death. His birth is nine months or so from that moment. The White Lotus cannot begin their search immediately and there will be many born at the right time to be the new Avatar. The White Lotus have no more immediate knowledge of who the next Avatar is than we do. We have the same chance to find him; we can remove the Avatar from his parents, keep him from the White Lotus and raise him as one of our own."_

_"Raise the Avatar?" Ming spluttered. "Convince them of our way of thinking? You ask too much, Zaheer. No Avatar has ever meddled with the rulers of all the nations like that."_

_"In history there must always be a first, Ming. Once there were no Avatars; their start is somewhere in the mists of time. There is always a change from what never happened before to what is happening now. If we take this gamble now then we place ourselves ready to make use of a unique situation. An Avatar raised not to adhere to the ruling classes, but one that will believe as we do." His gaze flicked to them each in turn. "Killing princes in their beds is a useless strategy; I see now why we failed. We cannot hope to free the populace like that. Too many would condemn us without trying to understand our beliefs. As many of the corrupt leaders as we remove there will always be those ready to take on those same positions of power. It cannot work. Instead we must show the whole world the truth; we must show them our way. We must wage war with the governments, not sneak like assassins. And to ensure our victory, we will need to use their ultimate weapon against them: the Avatar."_

* * *

><p><em>"Excellent, Korra," P'Li said as the Avatar completed her drill. The girl was a natural firebender; Korra seemed to burst with energy. Her bending gained flourishes far quicker than expected; the fire was beautiful and potent. Korra bowed. "Once Ghazan's teaching has been completed, we will begin advanced techniques," P'Li said.<em>

_Korra's eyes widened. "That'll be awesome." She smiled. "Then maybe I can beat Zaheer."_

_"I'm not sure I want to see that," P'Li said._

_"But I do," Korra replied, her face smug._

_P'Li laughed. "Your competitiveness is an excellent fuel for your fire. Keep hold of it and there will be little you cannot do."_

_Korra tilted her head to one side. "But that's the opposite of what Ming keeps saying. She's all about being as-" Korra adopted a less than accurate impersonation of the waterbender. "-calm as the the sea and as cold as ice." Korra's face screwed up in disgust._

_P'Li laughed. The thought of teaching had never occured to her in the past; she had never wanted to instruct others. But Korra was not what she had expected from the experience. She expected the need to cajole or stress things, fight an unending battle to make the girl understand and apply that learning. To her surprise Korra was attentive, receptive and would not tire until she perfected her movements. This was nothing like the student Ming reported. The waterbender had not wanted to teach either, and from the sound of things was having real problems with Korra. How much of that was the student and how much the teacher? It did not help that Ming was a perfectionist; she obsessed over precision and economy of movement. The passions that drove Korra were not conducive to such a mind-set; far more helpful in working with fire._

_"Korra; fire is different to the other elements. Of all of the types of bending, we are the ones who can truly create. The others must draw on something external. Water, earth and even the former airbenders could have their vital element taken away from them. Admittedly it was hard to stop the airbenders having access to the air, but any damage could be mitigated. We are different Korra; we can never be truly disarmed. We create the fire within ourselves, but we cannot do it for it's own sake; we create our fire for a purpose."_

_"So..." Korra looked to the found. "You're saying I should keep wanting to beat Zaheer to get better?"_

_P'Li laughed. "I guess that's accurate."_

_"So what do you do? Why do you use the fire?"_

_"Zaheer," she said his name without a pause._

_Korra blinked. "You want to beat him up too?"_

_P'Li smiled. "No. No, it's not like that." She spread her fingers and moved them through the air, flickering flames sparking in their wake. "There is more to fire than power and destruction. It is your spirit, Korra. It can take many forms; anger, pain, happiness, hope and-" She caught Korra's gaze in her own "-love." Korra blinked, her gaze moving back to the flaming paths P'Li traced in the air. "Your desire to win against Zaheer will help for now, but you cannot always rely on that drive. You will come to need something else as you grow older." Korra nodded, not understanding; not yet. "Korra?" P'Li asked. "Have I told you how I first met Zaheer?"_

_"No?" Korra replied._

_"It was long ago. I did not have a happy childhood. Nobles discovered my ability and I was taken from my family." There was a sting of awkwardness; how similar her past had been to Korra's. It was fleeting; Korra's situation was different. "I was kept in a cell and chained to a wall with my chi-point blocked." Her fingers traced over the tattoo on her forehead. "I tried to escape, but I was never able to remove my chains. And everytime I tried, my captors found a new way to hurt me." P'Li blinked; the memories of the pain still so vivid. "Eventually I was offered the chance to see my family again. There was only one condition; swear allegiance to Lord Zhang and fight as he directed. I was desperate you understand. I had to get out of that dungeon. I would have accepted any condition, made any deal. I swore my oath, anxiously waiting for my family. But they never came; nothing changed. I still lived in that dungeon and my chi-point remained blocked. I remained alone in the dark."_

_"What about Zaheer?" Korra asked._

* * *

><p><em>The ground rumbled again, but this time it did not stop. P'Li pulled herself closer to the wall, feeling streams of dust and soil fall onto her. How much longer until the entire roof came down? How long until she drew last breath? Death was not as foreboding as it might once have been. It would have been good to see her family again, good to escape this place and be outside once more, but now any release would be welcome.<em>

_The first scream set her teeth on edge. The rumbling halted with it and now the sound of one scream following another. Short, sharp and then cut off, leaving a horrific echo in the aftermath. What would happen when they reached her? Her breathing accelerated as the something moved closer and closer to her. As the scream came from right outside her cell she tensed herself. Ready to attack, ready to at least try and escape. Her chains clinked and she stopped. It as good as signaled her presence. And what good could she have done? She could not even escape these chains._

_The door opened with a heavy click, the movement slow and unhurried. A man dressed as an air acolyte stood in the doorway holding a candle. P'Li blinked. Airbenders were in short supply in the world; all her guards had been firebenders. Who was this?_

_"P'Li?" he asked as he stepped into the cell. She pressed herself into the wall, pushing herself a little further away from the stranger._

_"Yes?" she asked, her voice quavering._

_"Please," he said. "I am here to help you. I am here to set you free."_

_"Free?" she echoed, not wanting to hope, not yet._

_"Free," he repeated and knelt beside her, pushing a key into the locks. Her manacles sprang open, the chains falling away from her arms and legs. She felt so light, but her arms were almost unable to move. Her legs would not support her; she could stand._

_"I... I can't...," she said, feeling close to tears. So close and now unable to take this opportunity. "My legs..."_

_"Then I shall carry you," the man said, scooping her into his arms. It was too much; the hall outside was dazzling, the man's body blazing hot against hers. Flaming torches lined the walls and she stared at this place just outside her cell. So close, somewhere she had never seen before. She wanted, no, needed to say something to this stranger, this rescuer, but what could? It all sounded so trite in her head, and before she could stammer out even a word he spoke. "Please, allow me to introduce myself; my name is Zaheer," the man said._

_Her lover soon became the key to her bending. Before her lesson with Korra, P'Li would attribute her power to the memory of the heat of the sun on her skin as Zaheer left the prison. It was the same moment Zaheer clasped his hands across her eyes as they ached, even as she strained to see the world once more. But she until now she never mentioned the source had been before that. It came from the moment she saw him with the candle. When she heard what he promised and saw him take action. Zaheer was the man who freed her; there could be no greater source for her fire._

* * *

><p><em>"Soon after I learned my family was dead," P'Li said in a bitter tone. "They died trying to free me before Zaheer was able to." She licked her lips. "I spent three years in that dungeon, Korra. And I would wish that fate on no one. If the world leaders were to find you..." she trailed off.<em>

_Korra was wide-eyed. "I'm... I'm sorry P'Li."_

_P'Li shook her head. "It is the past, Korra. Nothing can change that now. I have drawn strength from that experience - as horrible as it was. But you must find your own reason, your own strength; something so deep and precious that it will make your fire burn like never before. Something like my love for Zaheer and how he made me feel when he brought the light back into my life." She stared into Korra's eyes. "But do not think it must be love; what becomes the source of your fire will be as unique as you are. No one will be able to tell you when you have found it - you alone will know."_

* * *

><p>"Bolin," Mako said. "I've been talking to Asami; I decided I want to start working tomorrow."<p>

"Hey, that's pretty cool, Mako. You excited for your new role in;" Bolin adopted his radio voice as he stopped ruffling his hair with a towel. "The exciting adventures of Mako the Forklift Operator?" He made his dramatic gesture.

Mako rolled his eyes. "Better than Mako the Mugger or Mako the Arsonist."

"Yeah, those are probably more controversial," Bolin said as he flopped onto his bed.

"Are you going to be okay though?" Mako asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Mako said as he leaned back on his own bed. "Sooner I start my job, the sooner we have to leave this place. And the sooner we move to that apartment."

Bolin frowned. "I thought that went without saying? I'm looking forward to having an actual home again. I mean, think about it Mako. No living in the slum. No chance of running into Shin. No one to boss us around. And no need for you to go to the arenas again. An actual place with beds and walls and a roof that doesn't leak. And you'll have a job and we'll be able to get whatever we want."

Mako sighed. "Well, yeah, that does sound wonderful."

"So what's the problem?"

Mako sat up. "Aren't you the slightest bit sad about leaving Korra behind?"

Bolin frowned. "It's not like we're never going to see her again. Is it?" Mako looked concerned. "Why are you being so pessimistic. Wait, did Korra or Asami say something?"

"No, it's just- Ah never mind."

"There's always a way to be with someone, Mako," Bolin said. He smiled.

"I swear those radio shows can rot your brain." Mako sighed. "Seriously though; if we never met Asami or if she never found me, what would have happened with Korra?"

Bolin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean; we met Asami and thanks to that I got a job and we got a new home. But if we hadn't met her, if I hadn't gotten arrested... Bolin; did you want Korra to live with us?"

"Well, yes, Mako? I mean, I didn't expect her to stay the night the first time, but after that, I kinda thought she'd be part of our family. The three of us would have made a great team."

"Like a sister or something?" Mako asked.

"No..." Bolin frowned. "Nothing like a sister." Mako stared at him. Bolin scratched his head. "I don't know quite how it would have gone but-."

"If she was living with us, sleeping in the same room and everything; she would be like our sister, Bolin," Mako interjected. "And she would need something to do; we could not have kept on feeding her. We were fine on our own; stealing Satomobile parts at night, mugging before dawn and then debt collection. Would you have wanted her to help with all that?"

"No," Bolin said. "No, no, no, Mako. That's not the life for Korra. I was thinking she could find some woman's work to do, right?"

Mako's eyes narrowed. "And just what does that mean?"

Bolin felt mystified for a second. His eyes widened. "Mako; no. No, no, no. How could you think I would think Korra would do that?"

"Oldest profession," Mako murmured.

"Mako," Bolin glared. "I would have thought she could do some laundry work or something. Laundry with clothes," he clarified before Mako could add anything.

"Okay, but if she had had a job and everything, could you protect her?"

Bolin snorted. "Protect her? She's been protecting me. She doesn't need anyone to keep her safe. You've seen her firebend, right?"

Mako nodded. "She's good, I'll admit that. And I want to know who taught her all that." He smiled. "I'm still more surprised about Asami though." He shook his head. "Put those two together and I reckon they could take down an entire gang no problem." Mako's expression turned serious. "Getting distracted. Did you really want Korra near one of the gangs?"

Bolin shook his head. "Of course not. But it's not as if she'll go looking for them, and if they don't have any business with her, it's not like they'd go after her."

"Are you sure about that? Can you think of anyone half as attractive as Korra where we live?"

"Well, there's..." Bolin thought hard. "Okay, no... Oh."

"And that's my point."

"But why bring this up now? We're just about to start a whole new life," Bolin asked as his fingers clutched at the bedspread.

"That's the whole reason right there. We're unbelievably lucky Asami found me. We're even luckier still she spotted you when Shin came after me. If she hadn't; well. Bolin, you have to start thinking of things long term."

Bolin frowned. "So, I should have listened to you in the alley and not gone to help Korra?" He smiled. "I seem to remember you did not need much encouragement to wade in there."

"She screamed and you were already running at them. But that's just it. You like Korra." Bolin opened his mouth to respond but Mako kept going. "And not in the sister sense. I've seen you around her. You listen to those radio shows all the time; you know exactly what's going on with you and Korra. And since you like her, you have to take responsibility if anything happened to her. Understand? She's not Pabu; at no point can you hide her in your shirt." Bolin glanced at the fire ferret curled on his pillow. Mako continued. "It's one thing to invite Korra in; its another to let her stay and expect things to just be fine." Bolin was silent. Mako sighed. "I'm sorry Bolin. It's just... It wasn't going to work out if things had gone differently. And certainly not if you're crushing on her like you are. I mean, what if you said something to her and found out she doesn't feel the same way?"

"That might be uncomfortable," Bolin admitted after a pause in a quiet voice.

"And then where would she go?" Bolin was silent again. "There you go," Mako added in a soft voice.

"Is it... hopeless?" Bolin asked. He looked up. Mako was smiling.

"It's not hopeless, Bolin. You spent so much time with her the other day and the two of you seem to get on great. Just... Don't rush into anything. Take your time."

Bolin smiled. "Thanks, Mako."

"You did the right thing though. Back in the alley? You were right and I was wrong. But, I was going to take her to the shelters that night or maybe the next if things had gone differently."

"That would have been the sensible thing to do," Bolin said with a burning in his stomach.

"Well; bear that in mind next time you decide to bring a girl home."

"Oh no. There won't be any others," Bolin insisted.

"The future is unpredictable Bolin. You think Korra's the one right now, but who knows who she'll meet or who you'll meet. Maybe you'll meet a nice earthbender who blows you away."

"Surely that would be an airbender though?" Bolin asked with a frown.

"Yeah, but good luck with that," Mako said with a snort. "If I remember right the eldest of the airbender kids is eleven or something."

"Hey, that's not much younger that me," Bolin said.

"Bolin; no."

"Don't need to tell me twice; I like Korra too much."

* * *

><p>"Bolin? Bolin." Someone was shaking him. No. A few more minutes. The bed was so warm, the mattress so soft and Pabu nestled against his head. Were all mattresses this soft or was it just the contrast between the rough matting of before and these beds? "Come on; time to get up." Bolin grumbled and rolled over. "Bolin; if you don't get up now, you're liable to miss breakfast." Mako stared down at him. With a grunt Bolin pushed himself up and groped for his clothes. Pabu curled into his shirt after Bolin pulled it on without prompting. Bolin took a last look at the most comfortable place he had slept in years; shame to leave it. Two servants greeted the brothers as they headed for the stairs and trailed after them. Korra and Asami were already munching away at breakfast.<p>

"Hey Mako. Hey Bolin," Korra greeted them.

"How can you all be so awake so early?" Bolin asked. "It's still night out there." He ducked down to see the sky. "I can still see the stars," he exclaimed.

"Bolin, sit down," Mako said.

"Here," Asami said, pushing a steaming mug towards Bolin. "Coffee helps," she said while pouring herself another large mug. "You two all ready to get settled in?"

"Are we ever," Bolin smiled. "Though we don't have a lot to take with us."

"Easiest move ever," Mako said as he sucked up another mouthful of noodles.

"Best way to start a new place," Asami added. "Fresh start and all that." She drained the last of her coffee. "Okay, me and Korra are going to get ready. We'll be back in a few minutes."

The brother's ate in silence, the maid nearby catching Bolin's gaze. "Hey Mako, do you think... No, we have to. Let's thank everyone."

"What? Bolin that's going to take ages."

"Come on, Mako," he said as he left the table, half-drunk coffee mug abandoned. "It's only polite. Hey; look there's Takeshi."

Despite his grumbling, Mako tagged along and bowed to each servant alongside Bolin. They managed less than half the total staff when Asami and Korra found them in the kitchen complimenting the chef.

"Wow," Bolin gaped at Korra. She wore a vivid, almost flame-like red dress; it accentuated her figure in a way Bolin had not been aware of. And had her eyes always been quite that blue? Mako nudged him and Bolin looked away, trying to not to sneak another glimpse at the beautiful girl who looked flushed.

"Ready to go?" Asami asked.

"We are. Thank you, Asami," Mako said.

Asami smiled. "You do need to stop thanking me. You know I'm kind of your boss now. Also I won't be driving you places after this. You'll have to get your own Satomobile at some point."

"Oh, how cool would that be?" Bolin said as they walked to the car. "Mako and Bolin's Satombile."

"I think that's some way off," Mako said as he sat beside Asami.

"But it's something to work towards." Bolin turned around as they drove off. "Goodbye Asami's mansion. Thank you for everything," he yelled as he waved.

"Hey, Bolin?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, Korra?"

"What are you going to do now? I mean," Korra said, her gaze flicking to Mako for a second. "You can't work in the factory yet, right?"

"Right. Little bit too young for that."

"So what are you going to do?" Her eyes were so blue. Think fast.

Bolin scratched his head. "Well; I figured since we're going to the worker housing and there'll be a lot of workers and their families maybe I could be a babysitter? Or a house-helper. I mean, I love kids and cooking and cleaning; you know, any housework. So if I can convince someone to hire me to do those things then Mako will have a job and so will I."

Korra smiled. "I don't think it'll take long. You're a great guy, Bolin."

He flushed at her words.

"Korra's right, Bolin," Asami added from the front. "Someone'll hire you in no time. Plenty of people would love a babysitter in the complex."

* * *

><p>Asami drove to a five-story high apartment block. Pretty typical of other places in the city. Bolin frowned. No, these looked bigger somehow. More apartments in the same block or bigger individual living spaces?<p>

"Here we are," Asami smiled as she got out of the car. "You guys are right on the top floor." She fished in her bag and withdrew two keys. "Okay; you both have a key and you need to keep hold of it even if the other one is at home. It'll open this door," Asami said as she unlocked the entrance and held it open for them to file in. "And it also opens the apartment door. So please, don't lose them." She passed one key to Mako. "You can go to the guards for extra keys but they're a bit paranoid about handing them out, so try not to." Ten flights of stairs lead them to the top floor. "And here we are," she said as she pushed open the door.

"Wow," Bolin said as he stared around the room. It was sort of like the shack. But bigger. Much bigger. Bigger and with two actual beds and a carpet instead of matting. There were cupboards to store things in. And a kitchen with an actual oven. Pabu darted from Bolin's shoulder to claw at the bedding and curl himself into a bundle on the pillow.

"The bathroom is shared with the others on this floor, but there are loads of showers and two baths I think so you shouldn't have a problem," Asami said as Mako and Bolin peered around the apartment. The only door in the apartment lead to a tiny room with a sink and toilet. "Here you go Bolin; your own key."

"Thank you, Asami." His eyes widened. "Oh." He dug in his pocket and pulled his family photo out. "I need somewhere to put this."

"Near the kitchen," Mako said. He lowered his voice. "They both loved cooking."

"Hey, good suggestion," Bolin said. He propped the picture up on the work surface. "Mom, dad, welcome to our new home."

Korra stared at the picture. "I bet they'd be happy you made it here." Bolin smiled.

"Okay," Asami said, checking her watch. "Few minutes before work Mako. Come on, we'll see if we can catch your supervisor; he'll give you a lift in - then I've got one last thing to show you." She located a man named Chao easy enough, introducing him as Mako's superior. Along the way they ran across other new co-workers; Shino, Somboom, Hwan, Hasook amongst the sea of names. "Five minutes - just enough time to show you the roof."

"We can get onto the roof?" Bolin gaped. Asami grinned and lead them up a final flight of stairs. The sun was just starting to edge over the horizon, Republic City bathed in orange light.

"Wow," Korra said, as she turned in a slow circle, taking in the whole view in the early morning light. "This is a beautiful view," she said. "Hey Bolin." Korra pointed away from the city. "Isn't that where we saw the sunrise?"

He squinted and followed the direction of her finger. "Oh, hey, it is. Nice catch."

Korra turned, murmuring something under her breath. "So those are the mountains, and that's the volcano." She smiled as her gaze roved across the cityscape.

"Afraid that's all we have time for now. You two can get up here any time you want - just remember so can anyone else, this isn't a private perk for you. Mako, you need to get to work. Bolin? Relax and maybe get to know your neighbours. It'll be quiet here since this building's for men only; the family apartments are over there." Asami pointed to another building as she headed for the stairs. Korra and Mako trailed after her. Bolin stared at the building and resolved to check it out later on.

Downstairs, Mako's words swam up from the depths of his mind; Korra was going to leave now. Korra was going to leave right now. So would Mako. He was going to be on his own with Pabu. When would he see Korra again? Was there anything he could do to stop her walking away? Ask her out maybe? Marriage proposal? But what if she said no? What if she said yes? Both could be bad. It was not as though he had any way to even take her out on a date. Too fast. Way too fast. They only met a few days ago. And he had not a Yuan to his name right now.

Asami and Korra paused outside Mako's apartment. "Guess this is it," Asami said. "Bye, guys."

"Asami? Thank you. Again. Just... thank you. You have my eternal gratitude," Mako said bowing. "I offer you my most sincere service." Bolin bowed alongside him.

"It's an honour," Asami said with a smile.

"Korra?" Mako said.

"Mako?" Korra replied, raising an eyebrow.

Mako grimaced and looked way. "You're... you're a good firebender, okay?" Bolin glanced at him. What was Mako doing?

"Yeah, I kinda knew that," Korra replied, looking bemused.

Mako huffed. "I'm sorry okay? Sorry I didn't trust you, and sorry I... misjudged you."

Korra blinked. "It's fine, Mako. Apology accepted"

"And I don't blame you for what happened to our house either."

"Hey-" Korra said, her face going pale.

"Thank you for taking care of Bolin. And rescuing me." Mako spoke over her and smiled.

Korra fidgeted. "It's my pleasure. Mako? Bolin? Thank you for helping me when we met. I'm... I'm glad I met you both. If it weren't for you..."

Mako held out his hand. Korra looked at it confused. "Korra?" Asami said. "He wants you to shake hands."

"What? Oh," Korra said, clasping Mako's hand.

"Goodbye Korra, Asami, until next time."

"Goodbye, Mako."

Bolin held his hand out as well. "See-ya Korra, Miss Sato," he said, his voice quavering, his eyes pricking with tears as he took Korra's hand.

"Until next time, Bolin," Korra replied over Asami protesting the formality once again. She stared into his eyes and smiled.

Mako had been goodbye, but he had been until next time. The sight of her staring at him like that was all he needed. They would meet again; somehow and in some way. It was not the end; this was a new stage in his life. It would be like the dueling radio show where the lead lost her friend to her rival. They got to see each other even if her friend was not herself. Maybe not the best example, though she then fought her rival and rescued her. Was he going to have to fight Asami for Korra? No. Maybe it was like that other series with the guy who turned out to not exist and who vanished at the end. Not the happiest of endings though. At least there was the sequel where he came back. That sounded better. He would think of that and Korra's eyes until they met again.

* * *

><p>Asami switched off the engine, but remained seated. "You okay?"<p>

"Hmmm?" Korra blinked. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"You've been quiet since we left."

Korra smiled. "Yeah. I know we only met recently, but I am going to miss those two. It won't be the same without them."

"Your life's in a bit of flux at the moment; things are going to take a while to settle. Don't worry; there'll be loads of chances to see them again. It's not like they're not the other side of the planet or anything. We'll give them a few days to get settled, get you settled and then we'll all meet up again."

Korra's smile widened. "That sounds good. Not sure how long Naga would cope without seeing Pabu."

Asami laughed and got out of the car. It was better this way. The less people who were present if Zaheer found her the better.

"Miss Sato."

"Takeshi," Asami said as they stepped through the front door.

"Ma'am, your father arrived home a little while ago. He is currently eating breakfast in the kitchen."

"Ah, excellent. Thank you," Asami said.

"Hi, dad," Asami said and kissed the older man on his cheek. Korra stared at Asami's father. He had not yet noticed her. What was it about car making that required him to stay out all night like that? He was old; his hair streaked with white and he had glass discs in front of his eyes for some reason. "How are you?" Asami continued.

"Tired. Haven't slept in a day or so."

"Dad, you know you're not meant to be doing that anymore," Asami said.

"I know," he sighed. "I'll rest today, okay?"

"Okay. You better though," Asami said. She looked behind her and grinned, waving Korra forward. "There's someone I want you to meet." Asami's father looked around as she approached. "This is my friend, Korra."

How do you greet someone older? This had never come up ever before. Best to be as polite as possible. She bowed, her movements stiff. "Hi, I'm Korra," she said.

"Hello Korra. I am Hiroshi Sato; Asami's father." He held his hand out. At least she knew what to do this time. She shook his hand. "Takeshi mentioned guests yesterday," Hiroshi said turning to Asami. "I don't mind, but I would like to know why three strangers and a polar-bear dog wound up in my house." He looked at her expectantly. Asami settled into the seat opposite him, Korra taking the seat beside hers.

Asami took a deep breath. "Okay, so, this might sound a little crazy, but-" She took another deep breath. "So, yesterday I wound up meeting these two brothers who lost their home in a fire, and they had nowhere to go, and no family, but they were these dedicated two young men with whole bright futures, and they can't go into the shelters obviously, so I gave them a job. But," she carried on even as Hiroshi opened his mouth. "That's not even the amazing or crazy bit." She put her hand on Korra's back. "Do you remember the last time we went to study the otter-penguins in the North and I got lost that time and I told you I met someone and you never believed me-"

"I wouldn't say I never believed you, Asami, just a bit suspicious of your story," Hiroshi interjected.

"Well, now I have proof."

Hiroshi glanced at Korra. "She also met her?"

"No dad. This is her. That girl was Korra."

Hiroshi blinked, putting down his chopsticks. "You are?" Korra nodded, trying not to smile too much. "The firebender from the watertribe?"

There was a tightness in his speech when he said the word firebender, a slight frown on his face.

"I... I am," she said. Should she prove herself?

"Dad," Asami began.

Hiroshi smiled. "I guess you proved me wrong; though it took a long time." He turned to Korra. "It was just... there was nowhere for you to have come from," he said. "I never heard or saw any evidence of anyone else living anywhere near the research station."

So many things she could not do in this moment. No sighs, no stutters, no blinking, no hesitation. Tell the lie as quick and with as little embellishment as possible. "My parents were killed by bandits about a year before. They took pity on me but still left to fend for myself. I wound up being rescued by a group of friends who have looked after me ever since. I..." Quick. "I promised them I wouldn't reveal their whereabouts; they were exiles years before and were afraid of someone coming after them."

"What made you choose to come here?" Hiroshi asked.

Korra smiled. "Well, Asami told me all about Republic City. But mostly I felt trapped and suffocated. I needed to see more. So I... I ran away," she said.

Hiroshi sighed. "Korra? If I were you I would find a way to let your guardians know you are okay. I appreciate the situation does not make it easy, but please do try." Hiroshi looked at Asami. "I cannot imagine what it would be like if my own daughter did that to me." He smiled. "Though I can't say I don't understand you, Korra. I ran away from home too."

"Oh, so this why everyone else seems to have grandparents but me?" Asami asked.

"A contributing factor certainly," Hiroshi admitted. "I may have done well because of my reckless actions, but there are times I regretted my choices."

"I shall try to make amends," Korra said.

"Thank you." Hiroshi stretched. "Well; I think I should turn in for now. Asami, if I might have a word first?"

* * *

><p>Hiroshi rounded on her just outside the kitchen. "You let two boys you barely knew into our home?"<p>

Asami flinched. "Dad, I-"

"And from the sounds of things one was likely a firebender." He sighed. "Couldn't you have just put them up in a hotel or something? Just put them anywhere else but here?" His eyes narrowed. "You know I would never stand in the way of charity, but this is far too trusting. Especially given Takeshi confided in me that they had the air of slum-dwellers. Slum-dwellers Asami. Who knows what kind of unsavory activities they engaged in?" Hiroshi grasped her shoulders. "How sure are you that they're not taking advantage of your kindness?"

Asami scowled and shrugged him off. "That's enough. It was my decision to bring them here. No one pushed me or suggested it. What is wrong with you? Why so suspicious? Yes I hardly know them. But I know them a damn sight better then you do. They needed help and I was able to give them it." Hiroshi's face was thunderous. "Is this how it's going to be? No guests at the house except your business partners and my so called friends?"

He stared at her and said the one word that always made things worse. The way to short-cut everything. "Yasuko."

Asami glared at him. "Don't."

Hiroshi shook his head. "I never wanted you to know this Asami; but the firebenders who killed your mother, who killed Yasuko; that robbery was an inside job. They had accomplices on our staff. Ever since everyone here has been carefully vetted multiple times. Anyone with a connection to a firebender is barred from working here. Anyone with a bender in the family I am uncomfortable with hiring." He stared at her. "You cannot be certain that those boys have not memorized the grounds, the layout of our house. Can you be certain they were not prowling around at night?"

"Dad-" Asami began again.

"No, Asami. You don't know that they aren't going to take the first opportunity to sell everything they know to one of the gangs. And they will storm our house and we will lose everything. I might end up losing you this time. Use your head Asami. Your friend from all those years ago happens to turn up out of the blue with them? Coincidence is one thing, but this..."

Asami shook her head. "Enough. I am not going to stand here and listen to you insult my friends. I trust them, and if you refuse to take me at my word, I will prove you wrong." She span on her heel and stalked back to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>P'Li stared at the moon hanging over Republic City. Zaheer took her hand and she looked around. He tugged her and she pressed against him, her arms wrapped around his neck. "I imagined this moment," she said against his shoulder. "But it was not to creep in the night like assassins; I thought we would walk alongside the Avatar and meet a cheering crowd."<p>

"We can still accomplish that, P'Li. Just not in the way we intended originally," Zaheer assured her, leaning down to kiss her. The screech of a hawk interrupted them.

"Zaheer? They say preparations are complete. We are to approach when ready. Tonraq and his wife left the city this morning," Ghazan said.

"Good," Zaheer murmured as he stared into P'Li's eyes. "If you and Ming would be so good as to provide us some cover?"

Ghazan nodded and headed aft. Zaheer closed his eyes and kissed P'Li again. The boat creaked underneath them. There was a hiss as the rocks Gahazan super-heated hit the water. Ming ought to be swirling the resulting mist around them; hiding the boat both from the harbor patrols and Air Temple island. Time for this. But all too soon Ghazan cleared his throat. "Zaheer?"

He pulled away but did not let go; P'Li ducked her head into his shoulder. There was a shadow in the mist ahead of them. "Welcome Zaheer," a voice called. "What are your orders?"

"Gendo," Zaheer nodded to the Red Lotus member. "Please; guide us to somewhere to rest first. Our journey has been long and tiring. Then I want our agents to pay close attention to the slums and water tribe cultural center. I assume you are still watching Air Temple island?"

"Of course," Gendo replied, his back stiffening.

"Can any operatives be spared?" P'Li asked.

Gendo glanced at her. "Potentially, though we are spread thin."

"What are you thinking, P'Li?" Zaheer asked.

"Korra; she delights in shows of strength and competitive activities. If she is sensible she would stay hidden, but I believe she has too much passion to stay like that for long. I suggest we keep an eye on the pro-bending arenas."

Zaheer nodded. "A sound judgement. Make it lower priority, but do not neglect them," Zaheer said to Gendo. "I expect the Avatar to be hiding, but as P'Li said, there is every chance she might frequent such places."

"As you wish," Gendo said.

"Is there anything else to report?" Zaheer asked.

Gendo shook his head. "The White Lotus are working with the police. They are still searching the slums and as yet there has been no public disclosure of the nature of their operation."

"We may be able to exploit that later," Zaheer mused.

"The search is taking time due to the size of the districts involved. Nor are they certain of movements within them."

"We would do well to let them continue, though we should not ignore the search. We have a clear advantage that they do not; we at least know what Korra looks like." Zaheer smiled. "And since she is not on Air Temple island, it is safe to assume Tenzin does not know or have any inkling that the Red Lotus survived."

Air Temple island. He peered through the mist. To set foot there again was tempting. Later. Later he would revisit the place Aang mentored him. Where he learned of Guru Laghima. Where he learned of Aang's hypocrisy; how weak his adherence to the Air nomad philosophy was. Aang had too many attachments to the world; his wife and children. His influence in politics. His control of the White Lotus. So many friends. He was a poor airbender and a poorer Avatar.

Zaheer followed the true path. He left everything behind when he encountered Xai Bau; when he helped form the Red Lotus as an opposing force to the White. When they rescued exploited benders with abilities deemed too dangerous and gave them a place in their ranks. At least they would no longer need to rely on that; once they regained control of the Avatar no one could stand in their way. They had suffered many setbacks, but they were too close to their goal now.

* * *

><p><strong>Sanctum_C<strong>

**Radio shows: **These were for the most part never part of the plan - some specific instances were plotted in, but I started adding them in for additional detail and then we began using them for Bolin's mindset. One major reason I included them was for pop-culture in the universe. We know later on in _Korra_ that the movers will be popular/have something of a fandom. But there's not a lot about it, and even less about what happened before that stage (outside of pro-Bending). _Avatar _showed plays were popular, and given the prevalence of radio, radio plays made sense to have prior to the movers - and allowed for a very varied medium that would appeal to all kinds of demographics in the world.

I possibly did get a bit too blatant with the recent references, but they fit a bit too nicely into Bolin's thought processes. For those interested the references to date have been _Final Fantasy VII _(twice), _Revolutionary Girl Utena_, _Kill Bill_, _Ouran High School Host Club_, _Fruits Basket_, _Lupin III_, _Final Fantasy X,_ and as I think everyone noticed, _Legend of Korra_ itself. Hopefully they're not too distracting if you recognise the direct reference; for the most part they are just meant to be background colour for the fic.

**Thatfan: **I think we are somewhat resolved to getting less attention than we would like for the fic. We do love every comment/like/follow we get so thank you and everyone else who commented. Early on we realized that we are slightly hampering uptake of the fic since we've been very coy on the relationships - and that is going to persist for a while. _Legend of Korra_'s stance and treatment of all the relationships was a major factor on the AU setting so we don't want to tip our hand just yet. Suffice to say there has been a lot of back and forth between us on just what is going to develop and when.

**Everyone who commented/liked/followed the fic:** Thank you once again! So glad you're enjoying the fic and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as we play out our plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Puffie<strong>

Just like economics, fanfiction supply is created by demand for an alternate scenario/ added scenarios. Specifically both readers and writers mostly demand their pairings.

Pairings are the most obvious demand for fanfiction and for LoK the most popular ones are Korrasami, Makorra, while for ATLA its Zutara and Kataang. Others like Tokka, Bopal, Kainora, Borra, Irosami, Pemzin, Linzin etc. have niche markets. However we can't "advertise" in any of them as we have been writing this fic not for the sake of pairings for but the sake of characters primarily. Our priorities are character development, complex relationships, social issues and world building- romance being at the lower part of the scale.

Maybe one thing we can promise that is not spoilerrific: the fanfic will certainly focus on Mako and Bolin relationship as brothers in ways we didn't see in the series.

Reviews allows us what readers want to see in the story and some of the Red Lotus flashbacks were not part of the initial outline but was just added later. We would really appreciate if readers would recommend our fic to their friends or other fans that might enjoy it and right now we really love the lengthy and elaborate feedbacks. (Okay I'll say it, one way to advertise is TV Tropes's Legend of Korra fanfic recommendations page, but of course, it's wrong to recommend ourselves!)


	12. City of Fireworks

**Book 1: Healing**

**Chapter 12- City of Fireworks**

* * *

><p>Asami stormed back into the kitchen and dropped into her chair with a huff.<p>

"Hey, Asami? Are you okay?" Korra asked as Asami radiated anger.

Asami breathed out and rubbed her eyes. When she turned to Korra her dazzling smile was in place. "I'm fine." Korra raised an eyebrow. Asami's expression faltered for a second. "Seriously, I'm fine," she said. "But I think we should go out."

"Oh, okay. Where did you have in mind?" Korra asked, blinking as she wondered at the speed of the change.

"Anywhere. Just somewhere not here. I mean; we could have a look around the city in general, or if there was anywhere specific you'd like to investigate?"

Where did she want to go? There were two threads left connecting her to the previous Avatar. One lead to the South Pole; not easy to do right away. The other lead to the statue of Aang. They could go there.

"Well-" Korra broke off; Asami was staring at her chest, her gaze then flicking across the rest of her body. "Um, Asami?" Was this normal? She had known Asami all of two days. She was clingy it was safe to say. And somewhat interested in her body. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Hmmm?" Asami sounded distracted. She blinked. "Oh. Sorry, it's just... that dress really doesn't fit you quite right does it?"

"It's fine," Korra said, her body tensing up. "It feels fine and it looks pretty good. Besides I never wore a dress before."

Asami shook her head. "No, no. That is far too tight across your chest." She pointed at the strained material

Korra scratched her cheek. "I guess could tighten my bindings; that'd help a bit."

"Bindings?" Asami stared at her. "Is that what you're wearing under there?"

"Well, yeah?" Korra asked feeling confused. "What do you use then?"

"Not bindings at least." Asami sighed. "Your guardians certainly do leave something to be desired," she muttered. "Korra, I think we need to get you some new clothes. And some new underwear; you might have coped fine up until now but that's really not doing you any good."

"It's not?"

Asami smiled. "Okay, I know this might sound a bit weird, but there are better ways to clothe yourself than bindings. There's- Nevermind. Better to show you." She blinked and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Asami shook her head. "Maybe not like that." She stood up. "Okay, Korra. We're going clothes shopping."

"You really don't need to," Korra insisted as Asami left the kitchen. Korra trailed after her. "Really, I'm fine with this. Unless you want it back?

"Korra, I'm glad you like my clothes so much, but wearing stuff that's noticeably too tight is bad for your health. Especially across your chest like that." Asami glanced at Korra's hips. "And I'm not sure I even want to ask about-" She broke off and smiled at Takeshi as he walked past.

"About?" Korra prompted a moment later.

Asami shook her head. "Later. I doubt you want an audience." She glanced back at Korra. "I am worried about these people who looked after you. They left a lot to be desired."

Korra grimaced. "They were exiles."

"I suppose they did the best with what they had. But you're in Republic City now. Time to live as modern girls do."

Asami grabbed her hand and tugged her along as they left the mansion and headed for a smaller structure nearby. A lever set into the outer wall caused eight metal doors slid back. Inside the structure was a room was filled with Satomobiles; four two wheeled vehicles flanked by three four-wheeled types she familiar with. It looked like there was an empty space at the far end that could have housed a fourth. Long hoses dangled from the ceiling between each vehicle and the ground was spattered with curious dark stains. Asami grabbed one of the hoses and connected it to a four-wheeled Satomobile. A thick, unusual scent filled the air.

"Are we going by... car?" Korra asked.

"Yep," Asami nodded. "Just give me a minute to top up the petrol."

"Okay if I say goodbye to Naga first?" Korra asked.

"Of course."

Outside Korra whistled. There was a responding bark from some distance away and Naga bounded towards her, something red held in her jaws. "Hey, girl," Korra said as she scratched her pet's head. Naga dropped the object at her feet, staring at Korra in expectation as the polar-bear dog panted. "What's this? A new toy?" Naga barked and nudged the ball with her nose. "You want me to throw it?" Another bark and Korra laughed. "Okay. But just once, okay? Asami wants me to buy clothes with her. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?" Naga barked again, and Korra hurled the ball, Naga scrambling after it.

* * *

><p>There were more people on the streets now; Republic City seemed to have woken up. Children darted, ran and walked along the pavements, dressed in various uniforms, most smiling. Here and there amongst them were couples pushing small wheeled objects in front of them. She caught a glimpse inside one as Asami paused at a junction; wrapped in blankets inside was a baby. Everyone looked happy here; somewhat of a contrast to the people she had seen in the slums. Asami drove slower along the busier streets, her eyes flicking to the people walking along the sides of the road. Once the pavements and people thinned out the car accelerated.<p>

"So. How many people are there in the city?" Korra asked as they sped along.

"In the entire territory?" Asami asked, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.

Korra blinked. "I thought Republic City was the territory?"

"It is. Mostly. It's a bit odd. There's the city of Republic City; that's where most people live. But the area set aside from the Earth Kingdom for the city is a bit larger than that. So there are these little towns and villages outside of the city proper." Asami glanced at her. "Sorry. Not sure you wanted to know all that."

Korra shook her head. "It's fine. There's so much I don't know, so learning anything is good. So; how many in the territory then?"

"Last census - if I remember right - put the populace at just over thirteen million."

"Huh," Korra said.

"Huh?" Asami asked.

"You told me it was thirty million before."

Asami laughed. "Did I? It probably sounded better than I- Hey is that the time?" Asami was grinning. "Do You Remember? is on." Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Okay; this was the thing Asami and Bolin were so fixated on. Maybe she would like it? Maybe she could talk in such excited tones about the stories. Or she could not get involved and talk to Mako as the one person not obsessed with it. Asami clicked the radio on and scrolled a small wheel causing bursts of static and fragments of speech to emanate from the radio. There was a longer burst of static and then clarity. A strange, musical buzzing sounded from the speaker accompanied by voices making other sounds over the top. The tune sounded a little ominous, but any foreboding was short-cut by the strangeness of the instrument and what sounded a lot like a man shouting "bash," and "smash," and indeed, "crash" over what passed for music. Without warning the cacophony ended and a single awed voice intoned that a strange term Korra missed - Ega? - had just destroyed an - apostle maybe? Or something. Asami clicked the radio over to what sounded like the news and grimaced.

"So, that was the radio show you and Bolin like so much?" Korra asked, baffled. "Not quite what I expected."

"Well, they can't all be classics," Asami replied, her voice stiff. She paused for a moment. "Though that was so different to the others. Wonder if there's someone new in charge?" Asami shook her head. "Hope it's something more typical next time."

She reached for the dial, pausing as the radio announcer continued. "-council has issued a statement in response to the continued presence of Master Tenzin and Chief Bei Fong in the Ohtori district of Republic City. Despite much speculation in the press, the council has said that they are conducting a search for a rogue spirit loose inside the city. They assure residents they have nothing to fear, but do advise that if a spirit is sighted they should keep their distance and inform the police as soon as possible. In other news-"

Asami clicked the radio off and Korra heaved a sigh of relief. At least they had gotten out of the slums in time.

"A spirit? Really? Not sure I've ever seen one in-" She cut herself off and stomped her foot down, flinging Korra forward. The belt Asami insisted she attach dug painfully into her chest as a horrible screech sounded from somewhere close by. In a moment it was over and she fell back into her seat. Okay; that was more painful than she expected. Maybe Asami's plan of new clothing was not such a bad idea.

"What, what happened?" Korra asked, looking around. Some creature nearby?

"Are you okay?" Asami asked.

Korra nodded. There was another car stopped ahead of them with four men in it. The driver turned back and glared at Asami. "You almost hit us. You blind or something?" he yelled.

Asami shouted back. "No, but I have to wonder if you are. Can you not read the sign? It says 'Stop'." She jabbed a finger at the sign.

"Eh, whatever," the man said and turned to his companions. "Women drivers, eh? None of them can drive. Why the city lets 'em even try is beyond me." He turned back. "But, just so you know ladies; I can offer private lessons for you both."

"Especially for the gear-shifting," another man cackled, his voice laced with innuendo.

Korra glared at them. "Well, if you really want that." The man stopped laughing and stared at her. "Though, I think you guys would be best suited as punching bags." She smacked her fist into her open palm.

"What do you mean by that?" the driver scowled and got out of his car, flanked by his companions. Korra smirked and detached her belt.

Asami grabbed her arm. "Korra, don't. It's not worth it. They're not worth it." She restarted the car and roared away from the men.

Korra looked over at her friend. "Are you okay?" she asked as Asami ground her teeth together.

"Fine," Asami said a little too fast. "Okay, not fine." She sighed. "Sorry. People like that make me so mad," she muttered. "It's not hard to read a sign is it? Is it?"

Korra shook her head. "Don't think so."

"So when you see a sign that says 'Stop' you'd think the first thing you should do is stop, right?"

"Right."

"I mean, it's not as if they shouldn't have even if the sign wasn't there," Asami continued through gritted teeth.

"I'd have so smacked that guy's face with rocks," Korra said as she turned around in her seat and looked back behind them.

"At an intersection like that you're supposed to wait and only go when the way is clear," Asami muttered.

"Oh, or I could freeze their mouths shut. See how they like not being able to eat," Korra smirked.

"And we have that rule to - oh, I don't know; stop accidents from happening maybe? So people don't get their cars damaged or die."

"I bet their tires would have burned in no time." Korra turned back around and reattached the belt.

"We had right of way. We had right of way. No defence. And he was in way too high a gear to take that turning." Asami hunched a little more and scowled at the road ahead. "And 'women drivers'? Really? People are still saying that kind of trash?"

"They thought they were so tough." Korra snorted. "I could take them all."

Asami blinked. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

Korra shook her head. "It's okay. I was just thinking about what I could have done to those guys."

* * *

><p>"Here we go," Asami said letting out a heavy breath. "Let's not think about those jerks anymore. Let's just enjoy shopping."<p>

Korra stared up at the shop they were parked beside. "Xiaozhu's Collection," she read.

"It's my favorite store," Asami said as she got out of the car.

Korra plucked at the dress. "So you bought this here?" Asami nodded. "But then wouldn't it not fit me either?"

Asami stared at Korra for a long moment. "They... really didn't have anything up North did they?" Korra shook her head. "I think later on - as long as you're okay with it - I'd like you to have a long, hard think and anything you don't understand about life here, ask me and we'll get you up to speed as fast as possible."

Korra smiled. "That'd be a great help."

Asami smiled back. "My pleasure. But for now; these places sell clothes in different sizes. So, if you really do like that dress, and they have one, we can get you one better suited to your shape."

Korra glanced down at the dress. "I do... like it. I think?"

"You don't have to just get that though. Come on, we'll have a look and see what you like the look of."

Asami pushed open the door. "Greetings, Madam," a slender woman said. "My name is Tomo. How may I help you today?" Korra blinked, not really listening as she looked around the shop. Tomo was dressed in an identical fashion to three other women she could see. The room was filled with clothes; some lay on shelves arranged around the edges while others hung from metal hangers on racks near the middle. The place was reminiscent of the room off of Asami's bedroom where all her clothes were kept; very different to the far North or Bolin and Mako's shack. In both of those places the clothes were just bundled together in a pile on the floor. Here, as with Asami's clothes, they were arranged in a neat fashion in three major groupings; red clothing in the fire section, blue in the water and brown in the earth.

"Hi, Tomo," Asami responded. "I'm helping my friend pick out some new clothes. Korra? Any preference for what kind of style you want?"

For so many years she had worn almost the same clothing. It had looked similar if still very quite different to the clothes in the water section. Bolin's donated outfit was somewhat similar to the earth style. Asami's dress on the other hand; that could only belong in fire. Red might make her stand out more, make her more obvious but she had been so associated with blue before. And her encounters with the gang and the police made her reluctant to stick with brown. Red would be a good change.

"Fire, please."

"Right this way, madam," Tomo said and lead them to the relevant section.

"Um, Asami?"

"Yes?"

"Remember when you said before that later on we would talk about the things I didn't understand?"

"I do. Ah." Asami turned to Tomo. "If you might give us some time to browse please?"

"Certainly. Please ask me or any member of our staff if you require any assistance." Tomo bowed and left them.

"Thanks," Korra said, feeling more comfortable.

"No problem." Asami gestured to the clothing. "Okay, so, these are all available for us to buy - I don't have to explain money right?" Korra shook her head and Asami nodded. "Good. So, we can choose anything we like from the shelves or the racks to wear elsewhere. Its advisable to try things on first; that's what those rooms over there are for. Also, and less people know about this one, we can make things look better if we get them tailored."

"Tailored?"

Asami nodded. "These are all designed to set generic sizes. And not everything is available in every size. But also no one is exactly the same size or shape as anyone else - no matter what anyone tells you - so what looks good on one person who is, say, size x doesn't look so good on someone who also falls into the same range that size x belongs to."

Algebra. Who knew that had relevance? Zaheer had been right about that. Korra frowned. "Okay. I think I get this?" She reached out and detached the nearest dress from it's hanger. "So I find something I like and hope it fits?"

"Well, it helps to first look for it in your size." Asami stared at her for a moment. "You have no idea what your sizes are do you?"

Korra shook her head. "Sorry, Asami."

"It's fine. That's why we're here.

"Okay - one thing I have noticed?" Korra pointed at the nearest rack. "All these clothes look really nice, but they'll restrict my movements really badly. And the long sleeves are a real no-no when fire bending. And this one?" Korra gestured with the dress she was holding. "This is going to tear if I move around too much."

Asami smiled. "Okay, so, I think we had better turn to the experts."

Korra glanced around. "We're leaving already?"

"No. Not yet. We are however going to have to defer to someone else with more experience in this."

"Who?" Korra asked.

Asami caught the gaze of the shop assistant from before. "Our good friend, Tomo."

"Ah," said Korra.

"Yes, madam?" Tomo asked as she approached them.

"I'd like you to recommend something for my friend here."

The woman eyed Korra from head to toe, looking thoughtful. "Was there a specific design you had in mind?"

Asami shook her head. "No. But she's a firebender. She needs something comfortable. Also light, flexible and durable. And as hard to set alight as can be managed. Was that everything?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

The shop assistant nodded, her gaze flitting around the shop. "And what size are you looking for?"

"I'm afraid, thanks to various circumstances, my friend has no idea of her clothing size. I was hoping you could illuminate us," Asami said.

"My pleasure." Tomo smiled and pulled a tape-measure from her pocket.

Measuring seemed by turns intimate and dismissive. And required her to remove most of her clothing; Asami and the woman exchanged a glance when her her bandaged chest was revealed. Asami muttered something to the extent of 'Very next thing'. Tomo insisted Korra remove her binding before wrapping her tape around her chest, her waist, her arms. There was an odd sigh of relief from Asami as she stood there half-naked, Tomo noting things on a small pad. Korra looked at Asami with a raised eyebrow; Asami smiled and shook her head. Okay; Korra was missing something here.

Tomo went on to measure her height, the length of her legs, her arms, her neck. Even her feet. All the while Asami watched, commented and made suggestions as Tomo worked. Most of the terminology and the endless, endless numbers flew right over Korra's head. But at last, an hour or so later, Korra emerged from the dressing room dressed in a sleeveless red shirt with gold lining. With some reluctance she had parted from the dress, but her new pants more than made up for it. They were black, a little loose around her legs but tight around her ankles. Korra admired herself in the mirror.

"Now that looks good," Asami said. "You like?"

Korra nodded. "It's great. This is... perfect. Thank you." She grinned at Tomo who bowed.

"Our pleasure."

"That really suits you." Asami stepped a little closer and rested her hand on Korra's arm. Her eyes widened. "Oh. Oh wow." Asami's grip tightened a little, her hand moving up and down the limb. "Korra; these are just amazing. I wish I had arms like these."

"Thanks," Korra replied feeling somewhat proud. Would Asami really want to have trained as much as she had to get like this? It was the end result of years of painstaking effort. Still, so far she had seen no one else in the city who looked close to as strong as she did.

"Is there anything else we can assist you with?" Tomo asked.

"There is," Asami said and glanced at Korra's chest again. "Okay, we'll take the top and the pants for now and just have one errand to run real quick. We'll be back in a little while." Korra wondered at just how much money the figure the woman quoted represented when Asami passed over a few thin pieces of paper. Somewhat different to the gold coins Ming hoarded. Korra made a note to keep track of it all and pay Asami back someday and somehow. Though that would involve getting a job first. Odd. Should she not be doing that like Mako and Bolin had? It would only be fair. But Asami had made no mention of it and seemed happy just to be with her. "If you don't mind, can you select some more options for her?"

Tomo nodded. "Please, come back soon."

"Where are we going?" Korra asked as she followed Asami outside. Rather than head to the car, Asami turned a corner and lead Korra further from the street.

"We're going to get you a bra."

"A bra?" Korra asked confused.

"Yes; like I said before, the bandages might have served you well, but they're really not good for you."

"So I need a bra instead?"

Asami nodded. She paused in mid-footstep and looked Korra up and down again. "On second thought I think we should avoid lingerie. For now, anyway." She changed direction. "Come on; it's just down here." Asami lead her into a very different kind of shop, moving too fast for Korra to read the lettering on the outside. This was somewhere very different. Instead of three major colours in their respective sections, here the colours mixed and jumbled in a rainbow of colours and patterns. Headless and armless dummies were arranged around the shop, tiny garments stretched across their torsos. Korra blinked. This was clothing? It would almost without exception cover very little. "Can you remember your chest measurement?" Asami asked as she searched along a rack.

"Um. Sorry," Korra said. Another number on top of all those others. Now she had forgotten that one number Asami insisted she hold onto.

Asami shook her head. "Don't worry. Come on; let's get you measured then."

This required finding another shop assistant, the removal of her top and bandages once more and another round with the tape measure. Another set of digits and a letter were the critical facts this time. Instead of asking for advice Asami seemed to know just what she was after. "Okay; where are your sports bras please?" The shop assistant lead them to one corner of the store. Korra stared at the garments with suspicion as Asami rifled between them. These were somewhat less patterned and less frilly than most of their neighbours. "Okay," Asami said at last, lifting a selection of red pieces from the racks. "This is going to feel... different." She kept her voice soft. "Maybe not as comfortable at first, but please trust me, these are much better for you. And it will start to feel comfortable real quick."

"You want me to put one of those on?" Korra asked. Asami nodded. "Just that?"

Asami laughed. "No, they go under your new clothes; like your bindings. Though you've reminded me." She hurried over to another section that seemed to offer pants with almost no legs. "May as well get you matching underwear." Korra took the garments and looked at them with suspicion. "Trust me. It'll be better than what you have been wearing. Come on." Asami dragged her to one of the secluded rooms at the back. "It should be evident what to do, but if you need help, just ask. And while we're at it, I think we need to discuss how you deal with your time of the month..."

* * *

><p>"This feels... different?" Korra said as they walked back to Xiaozhu's Collection. She stared down at her chest.<p>

"It will at first. Just bear with it though. That particular kind of bra is designed for people who move around a lot and are very active. So that sounded the best idea. And they're much better than your bindings."

Korra frowned. "If you say so." Clothing was not something they had ever discussed in the North. Korra had been provided with her clothes as she needed them. Though there had been a few awkward conversations when she was twelve from Zaheer. Soon afterward P'Li took her out from the camp for the whole day to show her some new fire bending moves and once Korra had worked up a sweat she proceeded to explain puberty to her. Where Zaheer had looked uncomfortable and evasive, P'Li was calm, precise and unhurried. She had explained the changes that had already begun in Korra's body - the obvious and not so obvious; and how they would affect her from that point on. Her teacher showed her how to tie her bindings to support her developing chest, and how to prepare for her period each month. Korra had never questioned anything P'Li taught her that day, but Asami seemed to be operating under a very different mindset. Was she right and there had been a better, more comfortable solution all this time? "So; does that mean that not all... bras? Are like this?"

Asami shook her head. "No. Some are designed specifically to go under other things to compliment or be less noticeable. Some - like that one - are designed for sports. There's something similar to wear while swimming as well. Others are designed to look good."

Korra blinked. "Look good? But I thought you said you wore these under your other clothes?"

"Well," Asami said, reddening a little. "Some woman like the designs and how they look when wearing specific underwear. And sometimes; its fun to wear some designs just because someone else will see them." Korra blinked at her, and Asami offered her a smile that did something odd to her stomach. "I'll explain that one some other time- Ah, here we are." She sounded a little too pleased to see the shop. "Back again," Asami smiled as they re-entered the shop.

"Welcome back,"Tomo said. "I have a put aside some options for your friend if she wishes to view them."

Asami wound up choosing the majority of the clothing, though Korra took a liking to one or two extra items. They made it to the buy pile even as Asami despaired a little at Korra's 'simple' tastes. Their time in Xiaozhu's Collection was not over yet though. Now Korra had new clothes it seemed Asami needed a turn. Korra was directed to a large cushion while she waited. She sat cross legged as Asami wandered between the three sections in a succession of loops, bringing back armfuls of clothing and asking Korra her opinion about each. Time seemed to drift as Korra waited. When Asami was off browsing the racks, Korra took the chance to stare down at her new clothing again or - if there was no one nearby - to look in the small collection of bags at the strange new garments Asami had bought her. And when she was sure the coast was clear, she peeked under her shirt at the bra.

It came to an end - at last. A mountain of clothes reduced down to two new dresses for Asami and seven outfits for Korra. It seemed unfair, but Asami looked far too happy to worry about that. Korra had never owned so many clothes before. Before she had two set of clothes she wore every other day; both sets identical. Here it seemed clothing changed by the day. Or maybe by the hour? At least based on the amount Asami had at home. Would Korra wind up with as much?

So this was part of what the rich did with their money. There was a stark division between Asami's wealth and Bolin and Mako's poverty. The brothers had so few clothes by comparison - and had even given some away to her. She needed to return them; at least they were still at Asami's. Korra also needed to repay them for Bolin's noodles. Korra's stomach rumbled in sympathy at the thought.

Asami glanced at her. "Okay, okay," she said, and smiled. "Time for lunch."

* * *

><p>Korra looked around unsure of herself as the waiter left them at their table in 'Sizzling Squidsharks'. The air was hot and filled with a whirling mix of mouth-watering smells. All around them people chatted as they fished food out of bowls and off plates of delectable looking cuisine. But everyone seemed to have something a little different; this was something different again from her meals in the North, from Bolin's noodles, to any meal at Asami's home. How did this work? Asami was studying a sheet of paper. Korra glanced at the one nearest her; it was divided into sections with each listing different foods. Some mentioned fish, others noodles, and some she did not have the first idea of what they entailed.<p>

"Korra? You can order anything you like."

Korra studied the paper again. Should she ask about this? No. She would figure this out on her own. Okay, so, each item had two numbers beside it. On the left they increased in incremental steps for each item from the top to the bottom of the page. The figures on the right seemed to have less of a pattern, but did seem to increase the further down the page she looked. Was that the price? She tried to think back to the prices in the shops to contrast with the figures on the menu. How much was this food compared to the clothes? And what to choose? She spotted something she recognised.

"Um, can I have the grilled salmon urchin?"

"Sure," Asami said, catching the eye of a passing waiter. "Hi; could we please have numbers thirty-one, forty-two, a bowl of rice and a side of vegetable dumpings? Oh, and a jug of water please?"

The waiter nodded and bustled away. "This all costs money, right?" Korra asked a moment later. Asami nodded. "Sorry, it's just it's a bit of a new thing to me," she admitted

Asami watched her for a moment. "Now that; I remember having to explain that before." She tilted her head to one side. "Didn't I?"

Korra smiled. "You did. It sort of made sense?"

"Well, if I got the population wrong, I don't hold out much hope for getting across the fiscal system." Asami caught her confused look. "I mean how money works." Korra felt a little relieved. "Okay, so, you know all your clothes cost money?" Korra nodded. "And this meal?" Another nod. "Well, people get money different ways. You know my family does so by making and selling Satomobiles. The women in the shops we went to are paid by the owners of the shop; they get paid part of what we paid to buy the clothes."

Korra frowned. "Wait. How could they do that? Don't they have to buy or make the clothes from somewhere?"

"They do. The trick is, they ask for more money than the clothes cost."

Korra scowled. "That sounds under-handed."

"I can see that. But there's a reason for it. See, they charge more so they can pay the staff and licences and other things to keep open. If they charged as much as it cost to make the things they sell, none of the shops could stay open." Asami smiled. "I know it sounds a little weird, but because of that we can have all these things, and the people who work can have things to. See, the cost of our meal will go towards paying the people who cook and serve our food so they can buy their own food and clothing. And my family does the same with the Satombiles; but we use part of that money to pay all the people who work for us."

Korra nodded. "It's a lot to take in. Though it sounds a fairer way of getting money than warlords stealing land out from under its owners."

Asami's eyes widened and she broke into a grin. "Fortunately that hasn't been true for decades now. Much more civilised these days. Though, unfortunately not everyone is content to get money fairly like that."

"So, that's why you have police?"

"Yep - amongst other reasons anyway. Ah, food." A metal platter was placed in front of Korra containing red meat in a deep red sauce. Not quite what she had been expecting. Asami had a pretty looking white fish with yellow flowers sprinkled across it. Korra picked up her chopsticks and pincered a chunk between them. Okay; she could do this. It was just food. A delicious taste flooded her mouth even as the meat burned her tongue. It tasted so good. She rolled the morsel around her mouth, trying to keep it off her tongue, off her gums and cheeks. The heat flashed through her teeth and she gulped it back trying to relieve the pain. A scorching pain burnt the back of her throat and slid down into her chest.

"Hot," she yelped grabbing for the water and gulping it down. Soothing relief followed a moment later and Korra let out a sigh. Asami was watching her, her mouth open in mid-bite.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked after a hasty swallow.

"Y-yes," Korra said, pouring another glass of water. "Just... hotter than I expected. It was so good though." Korra plucked another slice up and blew across it a few times. She put it in her mouth with much more care, trying to not let the food settle on the pained sections of her tongue.

"Glad you like it," Asami said after a moment and resumed eating. "If you're still hungry, you can order some more. Or something else if you like."

* * *

><p>Two bowls later and Korra felt full; more full than ever before. The noodles had been amazing, the fish cooked in such a different way to what she was used to; even the water tasted somehow different. "I'm not sure what we can do this afternoon. There's a lot of places we can go and we could have done some this morning. Just... I kinda got into the clothes shopping part. Sorry about that." Asami said.<p>

Korra shook her head. "It's okay. Thank you for helping me."

Asami smiled. "As long as it wasn't too boring." Korra shook her head again. Boring, but the new clothes were great. And the... bra? That was fading into unnoticeableness. Curious. She was used to it quicker than expected. "Okay, so, this afternoon, no more shopping. We can go wherever you like; there's the aquarium, the Cabbage Corporation headquarters-" Asami broke off at Korra's quizzical look. "It's the tallest building in the city and they let people up onto the roof to admire the view. Oh, there's also the Great Museum of Technology..." She trailed off and looked at Korra.

There was still only one place she wanted to go to right now. "How about the statue? Any chance we can visit that?"

"The Avatar memorial? Sure. Oh. Oh, you said you wanted to go there yesterday. We should have started with that. Sorry, Korra."

"It's fine," Korra stressed. "Really. I'm glad we got the clothes." She fidgeted, feeling the fabric shift with her. "And you were right; this is more comfortable."

Asami smiled. "See? Okay, we'll go see the statue then. It's been a while since I was last there. Not sure I've been back since kindergarten," Asami said as they left the restaurant. "That was my last year before home school," she said with a trace of sadness. She smiled a moment later. "So; curious about history?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah. My guardians weren't big on teaching me about it." Not wholely a lie; Zaheer was keen on teaching, but ever since she arrived it seemed there was so much that did not fit with what the older man had said.

"Sounds familiar; dad wasn't keen on history. He didn't see the point of looking backwards rather than forwards," Asami said as they got in the car and she started the engine. "So I got a lot of physics and a lot of engineering and not a lot of history. But, I suppose it's good in the end," she said as she drove forward. "If things hadn't been so strict, I'm not sure I'd be as involved with the company as I am. I might have wound up stuck in low-level engineering." Asami flashed a smile to Korra. "And then we would never have met since I wouldn't have been down at the docks for Mako to mug and so on. This'll be good though; I can hardly remember my last visit to the memorial. And Aang was so important to the city and everything we've done here."

"Hey, who's the metal woman?" Korra asked as they zipped past a silver-coloured building with a collection of cops outside. The realization of how close she came only hit her when they were further down the street. Cops worried her; not that she could not handle an attack from them, but more that there was a sense of respect from most of the city denizens. As much as Bolin, Asami and Mako panicked in the slums, no one she could see on the streets here seemed to worry about the uniformed men and women.

"Her? Oh, that's Toph Beifong."

"Oh," Korra said. "I think Bolin mentioned her." Ahead, a cop held his hand up. Asami slowed and stopped in front of him. Korra tensed, ready to retaliate. Wait. The cop was not even looking at her; he gestured towards the side-walk and motioned a waiting group of children across the street.

"What did he say about her?"

Korra frowned, watching the passing children. "Not a lot? He was going to but things got in the way."

"Ah," Asami said. "Well; Toph Beifong was the founder of metalbending and the Republic City police force."

"That's quite an achievement," Korra said. Metal bending? Something else neither Zaheer nor Ghazan mentioned. Maybe Ghazan could not do it? Could she? No lavabending for her, but was metalbending possible? Though, how did one figure out how to even begin? Her fingers itched to try with the closest bit of metal. The cop looked both ways across the street and waved Asami forward. Korra tried not to look at him as they drove past.

"Definitely. Even more so if you factor in that she was blind," Asami said.

"She was?" Korra asked, staring at Asami.

"Uh-huh. Amazing right?"

"How... how did she cope?" Korra asked.

"Well, if I understand it right, she listened through the ground. Apparently everyone under-estimated her back when she was travelling with Aang. Everyone assumed she was helpless because she was blind. They never knew what hit them." It was not wise to assume helpelessness like that it seemed. Toph; a force to be reckoned with despite her inability to see. It should not be a surprise given Ming was a terrifying waterbender with no arms; it seemed there were ways to work around such disadvantages. "She taught Aang earthbending as well. Not sure where she is at the moment, but one of her daughters runs the police. The other's the ruler of a city in the Earth Kingdom."

"Wow," Korra said. Aang had not been alone as the Avatar; there had been a collection of people around him. As much as the statue showed him in isolation, it seemed he had people with him all along. They passed by another statue; this one holding a boomerang.

"And if you're interested in the Avatar's companions, that one is Chief Sokka." Asami glanced at Korra. "My favourite of the group. He and Suki - who married him years later - were the non-benders who helped Aang."

"Why's he your favorite?" Korra asked.

"He invented things," Asami replied. "And he was so young when he did. He figured out the principles of submarines when he was just fifteen. He discovered electricity and invented the refrigerator. And back during the war, he personally helped take down the Fire Nation's zeppelins. Suki was awesome too; she was a trained member of the Kyoshi warriors - they were founded by one of the older Earth Kingdom Avatars. And once Republic City was founded, she taught people chi-blocking to guard against rogue benders."

All these names, all tied to Aang. Katara his wife, Zuko whom he founded the city with. The blind earthbender Toph. Sokka. Suki. Would she also have such a group as Avatar? Was this how being the Avatar worked?

* * *

><p>"Dad; are you going to the slums? Again?" Jinora sighed as Tenzin tightened the saddle on Oogi's back. She avoided looking at the rest of his companions. Two out of uniform White Lotus members, Manu and Shi, and three acolytes; Touga, Suraj and Hua. Once the saddle was in place they scrambled up onto it. Tenzin's back had tensed at her voice and now he turned to her.<p>

"Jinora; I didn't think you'd be up this early." He sighed. "Yes, I'm going to the slums again today."

Jinora frowned. "Seems a bit too much effort for a spirit sighting." She narrowed her eyes. "So what's really going on?"

Tenzin glanced around and stepped closer. "This must remain between us Jinora. Promise me you will not tell anyone else about this?"

"I won't."

"No, promise me, please," Tenzin insisted.

"Okay, I promise," Jinora said.

"Thank you." Tenzin lowered his voice. "There was an Avatar sighting in the city." He held up his hands as Jinora opened her mouth. "I know, I know, it's not the first and it might not be the last. But there's something about this one..."

"Why the secrecy though?" Jinora glanced around. "Does Gran Gran know?"

Tenzin shook his head. "Not until we know for certain. I don't want to break her heart again."

Jinora nodded. "I won't say anything. But you have to tell her as soon as you do know."

"Of course I will."

Jinora smiled. "Well, good luck."

"Thank you." Tenzin studied her for a moment. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Me? Ah... I was thinking of going across to the memorial to help out. Should be quiet today anyway."

"That will be helpful - thank you Jinora. If possible, before you head out, can you at least try and get Meelo and Ikki to meditate?"

Jinora sighed. "I'll try, but..."

"I know. Just... just do your best. I'll be back later." With a flick, Tenzin pushed himself up onto Oogi's head with a blast of wind.

"See you soon, Dad," Jinora said as she waved goodbye.

* * *

><p>"Ah, I forgot. Today's the half-day opening."<p>

She had been adrift in the sounds of the sea, interrupted only a little by an approaching boat that soon faded into nothing. Now a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"It doesn't look closed. How can it be closed when it doesn't even have doors? Maybe we can still have a look?" A second voice asked.

Jinora sighed. So much for meditation. And it would have been so perfect here. No one close by, the calming sound of the sea washing onto the shore. Quite why no one could just pay attention to the stated opening hours was beyond her. She opened her eyes; if she could get rid of the visitors fast enough she could get some more meditation before she needed to head home.

The visitors were something of a surprise. The one with her hair tied back into a pony-tail was a water tribe girl dressed in Fire Nation clothing. What was that word she heard on the radio shows? Teenage identity crisis? Or that other thing; colonial mentality? One of the two. The other woman was less strange; fashionable dark clothing with gorgeous make-up. A very odd pair. Tourists maybe?

"Good afternoon," Jinora said, surprising them both as she emerged from the darkened building. "I'm very sorry, but as you can see the museum is currently closed."

The girl with the pony-tail scowled. "Why? How?" She gestured behind Jinora. "There are no doors. How can it be closed?"

Jinora smiled. "It's the rules."

The other woman touched the first girl's arm. "My friend here is new to the city, and she really wanted to learn something about Avatar Aang."

Jinora's smile widened as pride surged through her. It was so tempting to mention her familial connection back to the Avatar. But; they were still eating into the time she had to meditate. "Sorry, but there's no guides here at the moment."

"How about you though?" the water tribe girl asked. "You seem quite at home here."

"Well, I have done it before... but that was for the kids and..." Jinora caught sight of the girl's face. As soon as she spoke the stranger looked more and more excited. This meant a lot to her. And what harm could there be in showing them around? They could learn a bit of history, go back and tell everyone about how great the memorial was and how helpful Jinora had been. "If you don't mind it being me?"

"No at all," the girl's companion answered. "Right?" she asked the water tribe girl.

"Right."

"So..." the girl with the pony-tail said as they followed Jinora inside. "Is that an air acolyte robe?"

Jinora grinned. "Uh-huh."

"And you and others like you are continuing the teachings of the air benders?"

Jinora frowned. "Well, yes. Of course we are."

The girl with the pony-tail smiled. "That's good to hear. Even after they were wiped out," she murmured, her gaze straying around the museum.

"Wiped out?" Jinora asked. "Well, we nearly were. But we're still here."

"My friend Ko-" the pretty woman began. Her companion cut her off.

"What did you say?" she asked, staring at Jinora.

"I said, 'We're still here'. You thought the airbenders had all been killed?" she stared at the girl with the pony-tail. The girl nodded. Jinora sighed. Where had this girl been living? "Please allow me to introduce myself then; I am Jinora, daughter of Master Tenzin, grand-daughter of Avatar Aaang." She bowed. When she straightened she saw the girl with the pony-tail staring at her in shock. Smirking, Jinora raised her hand and conjured a whirling sphere of wind. "I am one of the only airbenders left in the world," she added.

The girl with the pony-tail stepped past her, looking dead ahead at the relics. "So Master Tenzin; he's Aang's son?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yes. The only master alive in the whole world today. He attained the rank when he was fourteen after completing the thirty-six tiers of- Hey. Don't touch that," Jinora exclaimed. The girl with the pony-tail span around, looking guilty. Somehow she had gotten the snack compartment of Aang's glider open.

"Sorry. Just wondered what he kept in there. Nuts? Ow." Korra flinched as Jinora's blast of air flicked her hand.

"These are priceless Avatar relics and must be preserved as carefully as possible. But, since you're so interested, I can tell you this was Aang's second glider after the first was destroyed when he entered the Fire Nation. It was built by..."

It was easy to slip into recitation of everything she knew. Jinora surprised herself to find how it all came back to her without effort. The girl with the pony-tail seemed fascinated by everything; the glider, the robes, the vial of the water spirit, the bison whistle, even Appa's saddle. Her companion was not quite so caught up in the exhibits; she looked close to bored but would always break into a smile if the water tribe girl enthused about something and remark that whatever it was 'was great'.

Before Jinora knew it, the sun was close to the horizon. "Oh no," she said.

"What is it?" the water tribe girl asked.

"I'm late," Jinora said, panicking. "I need to get back and help with dinner. I've got to go. Sorry. If you come another day you can get a longer tour. Sorry." She ran outside and flicked open her glider.

"One more thing. Please?" The water tribe girl followed her. "Do... do you know if the former Avatars... Can they talk to the later ones?"

Jinora blinked. "Yes."

"And vice versa?"

Jinora frowned. "Yes?" A movement caught her eye. Oogi; en route to Air Temple island. "Sorry I really have to go. It was nice meeting you both. If you want to learn more about the airbenders, then come visit us on Air Temple island. Just ask for me." She jumped into the air, and bent a breeze beneath the glider's sails. "Bye," she called, speeding away from the island before she caught a response. An unusual day. That water tribe girl had been so interested in Grandfather. Maybe she wanted to be an air acolyte?

* * *

><p>"Thanks for bringing me over here," Korra said, her feet dangling in the water off the dock. Asami sat beside her, enjoying the feel of the cool water moving around her feet, the sun low on the horizon.<p>

"Don't mention it," she said. Too much history though. It had been like a condensed lesson with no way to escape. At least Korra got something out of it. "I'm just glad you had a good time despite the problems."

Korra grinned. "I found out so much. And there was so much I wanted to ask, but we had no time and..."

"We can come back another day if you like." Please not tomorrow. As happy as it made Korra, she wanted recovery time first or failing that something to do while Korra lapped all that history up. Plus there was work to consider.

"Thanks. But it can wait. I need to think about some stuff. Like what I should be doing here. And supporting myself."

"There's no rush. You're welcome in my house for as long as you need. And don't rush into something you don't really like on my account. I suppose I'm just lucky my interests came out like my dad's. My career was easy to figure out." Asami leant back on her hands.

Korra smiled. "Yeah. Meanwhile, I just love... bending?" She frowned. "Yeah. All I've ever done and been good at. Kinda limiting isn't it?"

"You'll be fine." Asami licked her lips and leant against Korra, threading her arm through her friend's. They sat in contented silence for a moment. "Thank you."

"Me?" Korra looked surprised. "What did I do?"

Asami smiled. "You're the first girl I've been able to just hang out and spend time with like this. After my mom... my dad got so over-protective. I only get to go out without a chaperone now because I'm eighteen. And because of the chi-blocking. And that wasn't quite enough either. Dad makes me carry chilli-pepper spray and a retractable baton."

"I know what that's like," Korra said with a frown. "My guardians were just as over-protective. They kept telling me how terrible the world was and how the people who killed my parents were still out there. But I had to get away and do things on my own. Wonder what they think of me now? Maybe they hate me."

"I'm sure they don't hate you, Korra," Asami said.

"Maybe. But I never hated them. They annoyed me, but I am grateful to them for everything they did. I just... wanted more? I had Naga but I wanted to see the world. I wanted to find... friends."

"The world is a big place. And I'm sure there are a lot of friends waiting for you out there." How many had she lost track of now her family no longer went to the Ember Islands or the North pole? "And you have one right here." Korra grinned. "And we can't forget Bolin or Mako either."

Korra smiled. Not the most typical girl's day out; Korra seemed bored with the clothes shopping, but Asami found herself bored senseless by the museum. It evened out in the end though; they had both enjoyed parts of the day, though not the same ones. At least Korra seemed to really like her new clothes. And no trip before had been close to this; any time with her so-called friends would always devolve into gossip and catty remarks about other girls in a restaurant or who was dating who. And she would just smile and nod and pretend she had the faintest idea of who these people were talking about. This was better; a good day. Might be a good idea to work out where Korra might like to eat before they headed for home.

"Hey, what's that?" Korra asked. Asami lifted her head and followed Korra's gaze. A large structure in the distance reflected the fading light of the day in shimmering gold.

"That's the pro-bending arena," Asami replied, her eyes widening.

"What's pro-bending?" Korra asked.

"It's two teams of benders competing against each other. What happens is-" Asami shook her head. "It's all about bending skill." Korra's eyes widened. "You want to take a look? It's the second match of the new season tonight."

"It sounds... interesting?" Korra said, playing at nonchalance. Asami smiled.

* * *

><p>"Down with the Wolfbats," Korra screamed, her voice lost in the roar of the crowd. She turned to Asami. "Can't someone just punch Tahno in the face? He's just such a jerk. And he looks so smug. What I wouldn't give to..."<p>

Asami smiled. "I think you might just be getting into the spirit of things."

Korra nodded, staring down into the arena. They had good seats; a perk of Asami's father's position in society and preferential effects resulting from that. Tahno did not annoy her as much as he did Korra, but the guy did look a little too pleased with himself after the Panda Sheep committed another foul. Or everytime the Wolfbats scored.

"Yeah," Korra yelled as the Panada Sheep's firebender scored. "Take that, Tahno."

A little too late however. The match ended two minutes later without the Wolfbats losing their comfortable lead. Korra scowled as the Wolfbat supporters cheered in triumph.

"You really have it in for Tahno, don't you?" Asami asked as the match ended.

"I want to smack him with a water whip - I mean... It'd be easier if I could and less dangerous. I want to hurt him not murder him. I'll have to just burn off that stupid haircut."

An idea. Absurd, illogical, tempting, hard to resist. They should do it. Asami checked her watch. "Hey Korra? Come up to the roof with me."

"You know, one of these days I'm going to get tired of you lot showing me the city from high up places," Korra said in a dry tone despite a toothy grin.

Asami giggled. "You don't want to? I bet you haven't seen the city at night yet."

"That's true," Korra admitted. "At least not from a good vantage point. And I don't think I could get tired of the view anyway." Her eyes were wide when they reached the roof, the city alive with light and the faint whispers of sound in the distance. "So pretty," Korra breathed.

"Republic City by night," Asami said. "Always a great view." She licked her lips. "Korra? You know you wanted something to do? Like a job or something?"

"Oh, yeah?" Korra said, her eyes still fixed on the city.

"Well, how does starting a pro-bending team sound?"

Korra turned to her. "You want to do pro-bending with me?"

Asami smiled. "Not quite; I'm not a bender for a start. But if you want, I can help you get started. And I'll come and watch your matches and practices. And we can design you a uniform and we'll need a team name and... And you can be the firebender, so we just need a water and earthbender to round it out."

Korra blinked. "We could ask Mako and Bolin too."

"We can. Bolin'd be fine, but Mako might have to make do with being your substitute."

Korra smiled. "I like this idea. I... When can we start?"

Asami glanced around. "Might be a bit late right now, but we can drop by and see if Bolin's interested tomorrow.

"Oh, this is going to be awesome," Korra said. She clenched a fist. "I can't wait to face down Tahno in there."

"And I can't wait to see you-" A thunderous explosion cut her short and the sky lit up with a multi-coloured explosion. Korra looked up in surprise, her mouth falling open as the fireworks blossomed in the night sky. Asami chanced a look at Korra and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Korra did not react and Asami was about to let go when Korra squeezed her hand. Not a conventional day. Not an expected day. But the best time Asami had had in a long time. She squeezed Korra's hand and did not let go until they got back to the car.

* * *

><p>"My hands... Your hands... They don't wanna be without... And they will never let you go." Asami swayed in her seat as she sang along to the radio as they drove home. "They will never, ever let you go..."<p>

"You have a beautiful voice," Korra said, in a pause in the song.

"You think?" Asami said, glancing at her passenger.

Korra nodded. "Yep. I've never heard this song before. Well. I don't think I heard any songs before. My guardians never went in for it. They did some chanting at times. But no one ever sang anything like you do."

Chanting? These guardians sounded stranger and stranger. "You know," Asami said. "I have a load of records back home. If you want to hear some more professional performances- Oh." She broke off to sing along to the chorus. "My hands... Your hands..." She smiled at Korra. "Come on, you too Korra."

Korra shook her head. "I really can't sing."

"That doesn't matter," Asami said, jigging in her seat. "It's not about being good at it, it's about having fun and expressing yourself. But," she added. "Don't feel you need to. Only if you feel comfortable"

"Okay. Maybe... maybe some time. Okay?" Asami smiled. "Hey Asami?"

"Yes?"

"I had fun today."

"Me too. We should do this again sometime," Asami said. "If I didn't have to go to work tomorrow I'd say we should go out again. Still, we'll get things moving on pro-bending first thing, and after work we'll go talk to Mako and Bolin.

"Sounds good. Oh, hey, when is the next day we can go out?" There was a rushing flutter behind Asami's ribs. Work seemed so unappealling right now.

"Oh, well, my next day off is next week."

"Oh." Korra's face fell.

"But," Asami added as quick as she could. "I have a lot of holiday owed to me. I definitely need to go in tomorrow, but I should be able to get the day after off."

Korra smiled. "And we can go out again?"

"Just try and stop me," Asami said.

* * *

><p>The mansion was almost silent around her. Asami rolled over her eyes fluttering open for a moment, wondering what had woken her. The door to the balcony was open. Her eyes opened wider, worry snaking through her. Asami peered past the curtain. Korra was leaning on the railing, staring towards the sea. Asami breathed a silent sigh of relief; at least no one had broken in or Korra had fled for some reason. It was tempting to join her, find out if there was anything she wanted or needed to talk about. But it was late and there was work in the morning; she should at least try to put some effort in. And an exploration of Korra's secrets felt like it would take a while - there was a sense she had an unending supply of them. Maybe one day Korra would be willing to open up about everything that weighed her down. Maybe then she would explain those aspects of her past that never seemed quite right. Either way Asami hoped she could be there for Korra when it happened.<p>

* * *

><p>Thanks for all the feedback! :D<p>

DragonTurtle3's review

_In an earlier chapter, Bolin lamented how overdone and mostly useless it was when couples didn't communicate about their problems, misgivings or secrets with each other or their friends. I'm starting to feel the same way about Korra hiding that she's the Avatar. Especially when the story itself is drawing attention to the awkwardness_

_The secret keeping wouldn't feel so forced if there wasn't another element that I felt was beginning to lack at this point. The element of danger. With what the Red Lotus were feeding her back in the North, shouldn't she treat the rest of the world as enemy territory? Like when the GAang were roaming around the Fire Nation? Even if her teachings are being challenged by the Krew, she's still run into a lot of trouble with other people WITHOUT being the Avatar. Not to mention, her life has been marked early on with (as she believes) the tragedy of her parents' murders by the White Lotus, who she thinks control the world._

**Reply:**

Korra has been conditioned to keep her mouth shut about her identity for 14 years, and she has been spending time with her new friends for 3 days only.

As for danger- Korra ran to some patrols in her first landing and broke their bones, she ran against a gang of firebenders in the slums before the brothers found her, she mistrusted Mako and Bolin at first, then she fought cops when smuggling people, she fought Shady Shin and his associates who were beating up Mako- and that's within two days. She also switched her clothing from Water Tribe to Earth Kingdom to Fire Nation in three days.

In contrast to Aang- he only fought Combustion Man and Hama before the Day of the Black Sun. He had fewer enemies than Korra in the Fire Nation than Korra in RC in two days.

You also have to take note that even if Zaheer and the Red Lotus told her some terrible stories about the Fire Nation royals and monarchy in general, Korra spent a lot of time with Bolin who told her a different picture- and for years Korra had doubts about the Red Lotus because of meeting Asami when she was a kid.

_ The brothers_

Mako and Bolin's relationship wasn't in the top priority when we first conceived this fanfiction, but during the development of the story it just persisted on itself. I'm personally fond of their moments together and we will see more of them.

_ Kuvira_

Kuvira will be greatly developed, although she will be more prominent later in the story. Will she appear again in Book 1? Yes.

_ The world_

The Avatar world has so much potential, and I hope we can tap on it. There's a lot of explore, but we will certainly focus on those things that will build our characters according to our plans for them.

_ Will there be more flashbacks for other characters?_

Yes, absolutely. There's a chapter far into the future called "Child of Earth and Fire" that is one of my favorites.

_ The passionate reactions on Meelo_

We were surprised that our comment generated such a response; we will refrain from revealing our opinions on the series as much as possible so your expectations will not be affected.


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